Common Cultivated Corn

Pollen Type: Grass

Cross-Reactivity: Northern Grasses K.Blue, Timothy

HS Allergy Extract: Corn, Common Cultivated, Pollen

Family: Poaceae

Genus/Species: Zea mays

Common Names: Corn, Maize

Distribution: Throughout the lower 48 states.

Locations: Pastures, gardens, farms

Pollination Method: Wind-pollinated

Pollinating Period: Summer into Fall, depending on latitude & elevation

Description: Corn is a flowering plant that belongs to the grass family, although it is commonly known as a vegetable. Its genus, “Zea” (zela), comes from a Greek name for food grass. Corn is an annual plant that can grow up to 4′-10′ tall and 1′-3′ feet wide. It has a single main culm (stem) with nodes that gradually taper towards the top of the plant. The leaves of corn vary in size and are broad, growing in two vertical rows on opposite sides of the stalk. The leaf blades have parallel veins and a prominent mid-rib, with a hairy upper surface and smooth lower surface. The leaves and stalks are usually green, but they can appear purple or reddish-brown. Corn is monecious, meaning that male and female flowers grow on the same plant. The male flower is called the tassel, while the female flower is called the ear. Specialized leaves, called husks, enclose the ear. Husks differ in appearance from the leaves on the stalk and are responsible for surrounding and protecting the developing ear.