Popcorn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Popcorn (disambiguation).
Popcorn
Popcorn on the cob, freshly harvested.
Popped popcorn, ready for eating.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
Division:
Magnoliophyta
Class:
Liliopsida
Order:
Poales
Family:
Poaceae
Genus:
Zea
Species:
Z. mays
Subspecies:
Z. m. averta
Binomial name
Zea mays averta
Popcorn or popping corn is a type of corn which explodes from the kernel and puffs up when heated. Special varieties are grown to give improved popping yield. Some wild types will pop, but the cultivated strain is Zea mays averta, which is a special kind of flint corn. The process of making popcorn was first discovered by Native Americans thousands of years ago.[1]