DESCRIPTION:
This annual has a thick stem, balde-like leaves, a late-summer top raceme of male spikelets, and leaf-bract-covered seed-cobs in theleaf-axils.

USES
Corn gives us sweet corn, pop corn, corn meal, hominy, Corn Oil, corn flour, and bourbon. Corn strach is used in cosmetics, laundry sarch, suppository bases, and as an antidote to iodine poisoning. The corn silk is stimulant, diuretic, and soothing, and treats liver weakness and hypertension. A silk and bract poultice draws pus from wounds.

REMARK
The name comes from zea meaning 'cause of life' and mays meaning 'our mother'.