Zea (The Corn Genus)

grass family · corn · Mesoamerica · crops

Corn is king. Zea mays, the most famous species in the Zea genus, is one of the most important crops humans grow anywhere in the world. It feeds billions of people and is used in countless foods.

Tiny wild cousins. The Zea genus has four wild species called teosintes that grow in Mesoamerica, the region that includes Mexico and Central America. These wild grasses are the ancestors of the corn we eat today.

Part of the grass family. Zea is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the grass family, the same family that includes wheat, rice, and oats. Grasses are some of the most useful plants on Earth.

Born in Mesoamerica. All the wild Zea species come from Mesoamerica, where ancient peoples domesticated corn thousands of years ago. This single crop changed human civilization forever.