Zea, genus of five species of large grasses of the family Poaceae, native to Mexico and Mesoamerica. The best-known species is corn, or maize (Zea mays mays), which was derived from one of the Mexican teosintes (likely Z. mays parviglumis) in pre-Columbian times more than 6,000 years ago. Several wild species are considered threatened or endangered.
The grasses can be annuals or perennials and feature long straplike leaves. The roots are typically fibrous, and some species produce rhizomes (underground stems). They bear large terminal plumelike male inflorescences (the tassels) and, with the exception of domesticated corn, produce small hard-seeded female ears, which are hidden in clusters in the leaf axils.