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Glite Dictionary
Zea mays rugosa

Zea mays rugosa

7.8
A type of corn with sweet young kernels eaten as food
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : maíz dulce
  • Many gardeners choose to plant Zea mays rugosa for its exceptionally sweet kernels.

Examples

  • I love eating Zea mays rugosa during the summer.

  • The agricultural exhibition displayed several varieties of Zea mays rugosa from around the world.

  • Research on Zea mays rugosa has contributed to improvements in modern sweet corn breeding.

  • Have you tried Zea mays rugosas at the farmer's market?

  • Many gardeners choose to plant Zea mays rugosa because its kernels are exceptionally sweet and delicious.

  • During the summer, I enjoy grilling Zea mays rugosa on the barbecue for a tasty side dish.

  • At the fair, I bought a basket of fresh Zea mays rugosa to make corn salad.

Synonyms

sweet corn
vsZea mays rugosa
7 1.1

A type of corn with sweet, tender kernels that people eat as a vegetable when young

is the botanical variety name for that edible maize
Zea saccharata
vsZea mays rugosa
  • Specialized
8.4

A type of corn with young sweet ears that people eat as a vegetable

is the same variety but named differently in formal classification
sugar corn
vsZea mays rugosa
  • US
2.5

A type of corn with sweet young ears eaten as a vegetable

is the botanical variety term rather than the informal cultivated label
sweet corn plant
vsZea mays rugosa
2.5

A type of corn people grow for sweet, tender kernels to eat

is the specific botanical variety rather than the whole plant

Surface Forms

Zea mays rugosa singular
Zea mays rugosas plural

Morphology

Zea + mays + rugosa

The form is a Latin botanical name: knowing 'Zea' and 'mays' points to maize/corn and 'rugosa' means 'wrinkled', so a learner who knows the parts can infer it denotes a particular (wrinkled) variety of maize. However, the precise identification as 'sweet corn' and the conventions of scientific naming are technical and not directly derivable from the parts for an average B1 learner, so the relation is only partial.

Etymology

Zea mays rugosa is a plant name made of Latin words. Zea mays is the maize plant and rugosa means 'wrinkled', a word used because the young ears often looked a little folded. That simple image helps you remember it is a type of 'sweet corn'.