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It is not difficult to divide plants into grains and vegetables, but the question of which family corn belongs to is still being debated. This is due to the variety of uses of the plant.
Is corn a grain or not?
Some people classify corn as a vegetable or legume. The misconception arose due to the use of seeds of the crop as part of main dishes along with vegetables. Starch is extracted from corn, which in human understanding puts it on the same level as potatoes.
After much botanical research, it was determined that corn is a cereal crop in all its characteristics and structure. Together with wheat and rice, it occupies one of the first places among grain plants grown by people.
Photo of a corn plant during ripening:
Characteristics and structure of corn
Corn is an annual herbaceous grain plant, which is the only representative of the Corn genus in the Cereals family and is significantly different in appearance from other representatives of its family.
In terms of nutritional properties, cereal occupies one of the first places among plant crops.Grain, due to its high content of proper carbohydrates, has high nutritional value when feeding livestock and poultry: the leaves, stems and cobs of the plant are processed for animal consumption; there are separate fodder varieties of the plant.
In cooking, grain crops are highly valued because many dishes can be prepared from their grains, from bread to desserts and drinks.
Corn grains, stalks, cobs and leaves are widely used in industry. Cereals produce oil, glucose, starch and other food materials. Various technical materials, such as plastic, paper, and fuel for transport, are also obtained from the stems of the plant.
Corn is also famous as the most productive crop of the Cereal family. During the harvest season, the average yield is 35 centners of grain per hectare.
The root system of corn is powerful, fibrous, branched in different directions. It has fluffy identical tendrils, a long rod-shaped depression in the ground up to 2 m and external roots that act as mechanical support for stability from the crop adhering to the ground.
The stems 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 crop are long, wide, with a rough surface. Each plant contains male and female inflorescences developing in the axils of the leaves. The head of the crop represents a rod, from bottom to top of which paired spikelets are placed in regular rows.The female spikelet contains two flowers, of which only one is fruiting - the top one. The grains of the crop 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 connected with the American continent. Its homeland is considered to be Central and South America. During archaeological excavations in Peru, it was found that the crop was intensively grown 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 Mayan peoples, the cobs of the plant were discovered: they differ significantly from modern ones in their small size and small grains; the leaves cover the cobs themselves only by a third. These data allow us to conclude that cultivation began much earlier, according to some sources - about 10 thousand years ago. This is truly the oldest grain crop.
Today, on the American continent, cereal is of great importance and occupies first place in the processing industry. Only 10% of raw materials are used for food, and the rest - for technical, chemical products and livestock feeding. In Brazil, they learned how to extract ethyl alcohol from cereal crops, and in America, they learned how to make toothpaste and water filters.
How corn came to Europe
Corn was first brought to Europe in 1494 by sailors led by Christopher Columbus, during his second voyage to America. The culture seemed to them like an exotic ornamental plant. In Europe, it continued to be considered a garden plant, 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 did corn appear in Russia?
The crop came to Russian territory in the 18th century after the Russian-Turkish war, as a result of which Bessarabia was annexed to Russian territories, where corn cultivation was widespread. The cultivation of cereals was adopted in the Kherson, Ekaterinoslav and Tauride provinces. Gradually, the plant began to be sown as silage for livestock. Technologies for producing cereals, flour, and starch from grains have 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 this unique plant:
- The height of corn usually reaches a maximum of 4 m. The tallest plant in Russia, with a height of 5 m, was listed in the Book of Records;
- Alone, the crop develops poorly: it can produce good yields when planted in groups;
- In the wild, corn is rare: its full development requires special care;
- The ear of the crop has a pair of flowers, from which an even number of grains ripen;
- Due to the sweetish taste, round shape and bright color of the grain, some people considered corn a berry;
- The first ears of corn found were about 5 cm long, and the grains were small, like millet;
- Modern corn is the world's third largest grain crop;
- 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: these countries were under the rule of the Ottoman Empire until the 16th century;
- In Romania, the name corn refers only to the cob;
- Corn owes its scientific name - dzea - to the Swedish physician and botanist C. Linnaeus: translated from Greek it means “to live”;
- In Vietnam, carpets are woven from the plant, and in Transcarpathia, folk craftsmen make wicker products: handbags, hats, napkins and even shoes.
Conclusion
Scientists have long since discovered which family corn belongs to: the plant is the oldest cereal grain. This culture, unique in its properties, is widely used not only in cooking, but also in various industries, medicine and animal husbandry.
