Alternative names: corn, corn, corn, rice, millet, wild rice, corn, pearl rice, bract, big reed millet. It is called pearl grain in Liaoning dialect in Northeast China, barley kernel in Chaozhou dialect, and barley kernel in Cantonese. Corn is called Fanmai in Hokkien.

Morphological characteristics:

Tall annual cultivated plant. The stems are stout, upright, 1-4m high, usually unbranched, and often have aerial roots at the base nodes. The leaves are broad, linear-lanceolate, with wavy wrinkled edges and a strong midrib.

There is a male spreading panicle on the top of the culm; the branches of the male inflorescence are triangular, with 2 male spikelets at each node, one without a stalk and one with a short stalk; each male spikelet contains 2 small flowers, with membranous glumes and pointed apex; both lemma and lemma are transparent and membranous; cylindrical female inflorescences are drawn out from the leaf axils. The female inflorescences are surrounded by many sheath-like bracts, and the female spikelets are densely arranged in longitudinal rows. On the stout cob, the glumes are broad, the apex is rounded or slightly concave, and the lemma is transparent. The flowering and fruiting period is from July to September.

Extended information:

The nutritional value of corn

1. The protein content of 100 grams of corn kernels is 8.0 grams, of which the lysine and tryptophan contents are relatively high. Less, affecting the utilization of corn protein.

2. Corn oil is an oil produced from corn germ. It is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, of which the linoleic acid content is high. The total vitamin E content of corn germ oil is high, and it is 100 grams per 100 grams. 56.58 mg.

3. The dietary fiber content of corn kernels is high, 14.4 grams per 100 grams, which is much higher than other grains such as wheat, rice, barley, and millet. Dietary fiber can promote intestinal peristalsis, prevent constipation and reduce the risk of bowel cancer, and lower blood cholesterol levels.

4. Corn also contains vitamin A, B vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid, and niacin, as well as various minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, and magnesium.

5. Zeaxanthin is the main pigment in yellow corn and is found in large amounts in the endosperm of corn seeds. Zeaxanthin has the effects of antioxidant, preventing age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease and reducing the occurrence of cancer.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Corn