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Describe the botany of maize

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-Maize or corn (Zea mays) is a plant belonging to the family of grasses or grammineae (Poaceae).
-Maize is a tall, determinate, monoecious (both pistillate and staminate flowers on the same plant but different parts), protandrous (male flower matures earlier than female flowers) annual plant growing to a height of between 1.5m and 3m.
-It produced large, narrow, opposite leaves, borne alternatively along the length of stem.
-The root system is made of primary roots called seminal or seed roots as they originate from the scutellar nodes located within the seed embryo. This followed by-secondary or nodal or crown roots or aerial roots which develop within the crown area of the seedling. These aerial roots help in the uptake of water and nutrients and penetrate up to 200cm deep.
-Prop roots develop from the nodes above the ground and help to anchor the plant firmly in the soil.
-Maize can grow up to 4.5m tall and 1.4 -5cm in diameter.
-Stems consists of 8 -21 internodes and a leaf develops at each node.
-Number of leaves in a maize plant are between 8 -44.
-Terminal inflorescence is the staminate normally called tassel which is a much branched panicle.

Titany answered the question on August 16, 2021 at 06:55

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