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It is not difficult to divide plants into cereals and vegetables, but the question of which family the corn belongs to is still being discussed. This is due to the variety of uses of the plant.
Corn is a grain crop or not
Some refer to corn as a vegetable or legume. The misconception has arisen from the use of crop seeds in main dishes along with vegetables. Starch is extracted from corn, which in human understanding puts it on the same level with potatoes.
After long botanical research, it was determined that corn belongs to cereals in all characteristics and structure. Together with wheat and rice, it occupies one of the first places among the grain crops grown by people.
Photo of a corn plant during ripening:
Characteristics and structure of corn
Corn is an annual herbaceous cereal plant, which is the only representative of the Corn genus in the Cereals family and is significantly different in appearance from the rest of its family.
In terms of nutritional properties, cereal occupies one of the first places among plant crops. Grain, due to the high content of correct carbohydrates, has a high nutritional value when feeding livestock and poultry: the leaves, stems and ears of the plant are processed for consumption by animals, there are certain fodder varieties of the plant.
In cooking, grain is highly prized as its grain can be used to prepare many dishes, from bread to desserts and drinks.
Corn grains, stalks, cobs and leaves are widely used in industry. Grain is used to produce oil, glucose, starch and other food materials. Various technical materials are also obtained from plant stems, such as plastic, paper, fuel for transport.
Corn is also famous as the most productive crop of the Zlakov family. During the harvesting season, the average yield is 35 quintals of grain per hectare.
The root system of corn is powerful, fibrous, branched in different directions. It has a fluffy, identical whisker, a rod long indentation up to 2 m into the ground and external roots that work as mechanical support for stability from the adherence of the crop to the ground.
The stalks of the cereal are tall, reaching a height of 1.5 - 4 m, depending on the variety and habitat. Inside, they are filled with a spongy substance that conducts water and necessary nutrients well from the soil.
The leaves of the culture are long, wide, with a rough surface. Each plant contains male and female inflorescences that develop in the leaf axils. A head of culture is a core, from bottom to top along which paired spikelets are placed in regular rows. In a female spikelet there are two flowers, of which only one is fruit - the upper one. Crop grains can be of different sizes, shapes and colors, which distinguishes it from other cereals.
Homeland of corn
The history of the origin of corn is associated with the American continent. Its homeland is considered to be Central and South America. During archaeological excavations in Peru, it was found that the culture was intensively cultivated on these lands more than 5 thousand years ago. The first descriptions of corn as a plant were found in the caves of Indian tribes.In the habitats of the Maya peoples, cobs of a plant were found: they differ significantly from modern ones in their small size and small grains; the leaves cover the ears themselves only by a third. These data allow us to conclude that the cultivation of culture began much earlier, according to some sources - about 10 thousand years ago. This is truly the oldest grain culture.
Today in the American continent, cereal is of great importance and ranks first in the processing industry. Only 10% of raw materials are used for food, and the rest is used for technical, chemical products and livestock feeding. In Brazil, they learned to extract ethyl alcohol from cereals, and in America, to make toothpaste and water filters.
How corn got to Europe
For the first time, corn was brought to Europe in 1494 by sailors led by Christopher Columbus, during the second voyage to America. The culture seemed to them an exotic ornamental plant. On the territory of Europe, it continued to be considered a garden, and only a quarter of a century later it was recognized as a cereal.
The taste of the plant was first appreciated in Portugal in the 16th century, then in China. In the 17th century, the most valuable nutritional properties of cereals were recognized in India and Turkey.
When corn appeared in Russia
Culture came to the territory of Russia in the 18th century after the Russian-Turkish war, as a result of which Bessarabia was annexed to the Russian territories, where the cultivation of corn was widespread. The cultivation of cereals was adopted in the Kherson, Yekaterinoslav and Tauride provinces. Gradually, the plant began to be sown for livestock silage. The technology of making cereals, flour, starch from grains has been developed.
Later, thanks to selection, the southern culture spread to the north of Russia.
Interesting facts about corn
Several interesting facts are known about the unique plant:
- The height of maize usually reaches a maximum of 4 m. The tallest plant in Russia, 5 m tall, was entered in the Book of Records;
- Alone, the culture develops poorly: it can give good yields when planting in groups;
- In the wild, corn is rare: special care is required for its full development;
- An ear of culture has a pair of flowers, from which an even number of grains ripens;
- Because of the sweetish taste, round shape and bright color of the grain, some peoples considered corn a berry;
- The first corn cobs found were about 5 cm long, and the grains were as small as millet;
- Modern corn is the third grain crop in the world;
- The name "corn" is of Turkish origin and sounds like "kokoroz", which means "tall plant". Over time, the word changed and came to us through Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary: until the 16th century these countries were under the rule of the Ottoman Empire;
- In Romania, the name corn is used only for the ear;
- Its scientific name - dzea - corn owes to the Swedish doctor and botanist K. Linnaeus: translated from Greek it means "to live";
- In Vietnam, carpets are woven from the plant, and in Transcarpathia, folk craftsmen make wickerwork: handbags, hats, napkins and even shoes.
Conclusion
Scientists have figured out which family corn belongs to long ago: the plant is the oldest cereal. The culture, unique in its properties, is widely used not only in cooking, but also in various industries, medicine and animal husbandry.
