Maize (source code)
= Maize
<Maize> is the domesticated <grass> Zea mays, grown for its grain. A maize kernel is a <caryopsis>: a <fruit> in which the enclosing wall is closely attached to the <seed>. The male <flowers> form the tassel, while female <flowers> occur in ears; <wind> carries <pollen> between them. Having both kinds of <flowers> on one <plant> is different from having separate male and female <plants>.
Its domestication from <teosinte> provides a concrete example of how changes in developmental regulation alter a crop. Research on <apical dominance> identified the teosinte branched1 gene as a major contributor to the suppression of side branches in <maize>. Comparing gene activity and mutant <plants> connected a conspicuous architectural difference to regulation of axillary growth.<The evolution of apical dominance in maize by John Doebley and others>[Nature 386, pp. 485–488; tb1 and the domestication-related change in branching]{ref}
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