MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 771 



Maize or Indian corn is one of the important economic plants of 

 the world, being cultivated for food for man and domestic animals 

 and for forage. It originated n in America, probably on the Mexican 

 Plateau, and was cultivated from prehistoric times by the early 

 races of American aborigines, from Peru to middle North America. 

 Several races of maize are grown in the United States, 12 the most 

 important being dent, the common commercial field sort, flint, sweet, 

 and pop. Pod corn (Z. mays var. tunicdta Larr.), occasionally culti- 

 vated as a curiosity, is a variety in which each kernel is enveloped in 

 the elongate glumes. A variety with variegated leaves (Z. mays 

 var. japonica Korn.) is cultivated for ornament. 



n For a note on the origin of maize, see COLLINS, G. N. THE ORIGIN OF MAIZE. Jour. Wash. Acad. 

 Sci. 2: 520-530. 1912. 

 12 See the following publications: MONTGOMERY, E. G. THE CORN CROPS, A DISCUSSION OF MAIZE, KAFIRS, 



AND SORGHUMS AS GROWN IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. 347 pp., illUS. New York. 1913. 



STUSTEVANT, E. L. VARIETIES OF CORN. U.S.Dept.Agr., Off. Expt. Stas. Bull. 57, 108 pp. 1899. 



