ZEA 
i-yANTHOXYLUM. See Xantho^ylum. j 
* Jr ZE A. Lin. Gen. Plant. 926. Mays. Tourn. 
jf . inft. R. H. 531. tab. 303, 304, 305. Indian, 
4 or Turkey-corn; in French, Ble de Turqule. 
The Characters are. 
It has male and female flowers fituated at remote difldnces 
on the fame plant. 5 he male flowers are difpofed in a 
loofe Jpike , having oval , oblong, chaffy empalements , open- 
ing with two valves , each inclofing two flowers ; thefe 
have two jhort compreffed ne cl arums, and three hair-like 
ftamina, terminated by quadrangular fummits , which open 
in four cells at the top. The female flowers, which are 
fituated below the male , are difpofed in a thick fpike in- 
do fed with leaves ; thefe have thick chaffy empalements 
with two valves. The flowers are compofed of two floor t 
membranaceous broad valves which are permanent, and a 
fmall germen, with a flender ftyle, crowned by a fiitgle ftig- 
ma, which is hairy toward the point. 'The germen after- 
ward turns to a roundifh compreffed feed, angular at the 
bafe, and half inclofed in its proper receptacle. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the third fe£lioii of 
Linnaeus’s twenty-firfl clafs, which includes' thofe 
plants which have male and female flowers at diftances 
on the fame plant, and the male flowers have three 
{lamina. 
The Species are, 
i. Zea (. Americana ) caule dltiflima, foliis latioribus 
pendulis, fpica longiffima. Indian Corn with the talleft 
flalk , broader hanging leaves, and the longefl fpike. Mays 
granis aureis. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 531. Indian Maize 
With yellow grains. 
fc. Zea {Alba) caule graciliorc, foliis caririatis, pendu • 
lis, fpica longa gracili. Indian Corn with /tenderer 
folks, keel-floaped hanging leaves ,- and a long flender 
fpike. Mays granis albicantibus. ToUrn. Tnft. R. H. 
531. Indian Maize with white grains. 
3. Zea ( Vlilgare ) caule humiliori, foliis carinatis pen- 
dulis, fpica breviore. Indian Corn with a lower folk, 
hanghig keel-floaped leaves, and a floor ter fpike. Mays 
fpica aurea & alba. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 531. Turkey or 
Indian Maize, With a yellow and white fpike. 
Thele three fpecies have been generally luppofed but 
one, and nd more than accidental variations ; but from 
long experience I can affirm, they are different, and 
do not alter by culture. 
The firft fort grows naturally in the iflands of the 
Weft-Indies ; this hath a very large ftrong ftalk, 
which riles to the height of ten or twelve feet. The 
leaves are long, b'foad, and hang downward ; they 
have a broad white midrib. The male flowers come 
out in branching fpikes at the upper part of the ftalks ; 
thefe are .eight or ten inches long. The female 
flowers come out from the bottom of the leaves on 
the fide of the ftalk ; they are difpofed in a clofe, 
long, thick fpike, and are covered clofely With thin 
fpathte or (heaths ; out of the end of thefe covers hang 
a fmall long bunch of filaments or threads, which 
are fuppofed receive and convey the farina of the male 
flowers to the germen of the female. When the feeds 
of this fort are ripe, the fpikes or ears are nine or ten 
inches long, and fomecimes a foot, but thefe rarely 
ripen in England. 
I have not feen any variety of colours in this fpecies, 
though it is very probable there are the fame varieties 
ZEA 
in the colour of the grain, as in the other fpecies : hut 
as this is lefs common in Europe, we dre not fo well 
acquainted with it: 
The fecond fort is cultivated in Italy, Spain, and 
Portugal. The ftalks of this fort are flenderer than- 
thofe of the former, and feldom rife ffiore than fix or 
feven feet high. The leaves are narrower than thofe 
of the firft fort, and are hollowed like the keel of a 
boat, and their tops hang downwards. The fpikes 
of male flowers are fhorter than thofe of the firft, and 
the ears or fpikes of grain are flenderer, and not more 
than fix or feven inches long: The grains of this 
fort do not come to maturity in England, unlefs the 
feafon proves very warm, and that the grains are 
planted early in a warm fofl and fituation. 
The third fort is cultivated in the northern parts of 
America, and alfo in Germany. The ftalks of this 
are flender, and feldom rife more than four feet high. 
The leaves are fhorter and, narrower than thofe of the 
tWo former ; they are hollowed like the keel of a boat, 
and their tops hang down. The fpikes of male flowers 
are fhort, and the ears or fpikes of grain are feldom 
more than four or five inches long.. This fort ripens 
its grain perfe&ty well in England, in as little time 
as Barley, fo may be cultivated here to advantage. 
There are feveral varieties of the two laft fpecies, which 
differ in the colour of their grain. The moft common 
Colour is that of a yellowifh white ; but there are fome 
With deep yellow, others with purple, and fome with 
blue grains-, and when the different colours are planted 
near each other, the farina will mix, and the ears Will 
have grains of feveral colours intermixed on the fame 
fpike; but when the grains of the different varieties are 
planted at a proper diftance from each other, the pro- 
duce will be the fame with the grains which were fown. 
Thefe plants are feldom cultivated in England for ufe, 
but in Italy and Germany it is the food of the poor- 
inhabitants ; as' it is alfo in many parts of North Ame- 
rica, where it is treated in the following manner. 
They firft dig the ground well in the fpring, and after 
having made it level, they draw a line crofs the whole 
piece intended to be planted ; then they raife little 
hills at about three or four feet diftance, into each of 
which they put two or three good feeds, covering 
them about an inch thick with earth ; then they move 
the line four feet farther, continuing to do the fame 
through the whole fpot of ground; fo that the rows 
may be four feet afunder, and the hills three or four 
feet diftance. Six quarts of this feed is generally al- 
lowed to an acre of land, which, if the foil be good, 
will commonly produce fifty btifhels of Corn. 
In the planting of this Corn, where they obferve to 
plant the grain of any one colour in a field by itfdf, 
and no other coloured grain ftand near it, it will pro- 
duce all of the fame colour again, as hath’ been affirmed 
by many CurioUs perfons Who have tried the experi- 
ment ; but if the rows are alternately planted with the 
grain of different colours, they Will interchange, and 
produce a mixture of all the forts in the fame row, 
and frequently on one and the fame fpike ; and fome 
do affirm they will mix with each other, at the diftance 
of four or five rods, provided there is no tall fence or 
building between to intercept them, 
15 D There 
