''Zea diploperennis'', the diploperennial teosinte, is a species of grass (family: Poaceae) in the genus '' Zea'' and a teosinte (wild relative of maize or corn). It is

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...

Conservation

Virtually all populations of this teosinte are either threatened or endangered: ''Z. diploperennis'' exists in an area of only a few square miles. The Mexican and Nicaraguan governments have taken action in recent years to protect wild teosinte populations, using both ''in situ'' and ''ex situ'' conservation methods. Currently, a large amount of scientific interest exists in conferring beneficial teosinte traits, such as insect resistance, perennialism, and flood tolerance, to cultivated

maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The ...

lines, although this is very difficult due to linked deleterious teosinte traits. Researchers are studying ''Z. diploperennis'' as its genes provide resistance against ''

Striga ''Striga'', commonly known as witchweed, is a genus of parasitic plants that occur naturally in parts of Africa, Asia, and Australia. It is currently classified in the family Orobanchaceae, although older classifications place it in the Scrophul ...

'', which can decrease grain yield.

References

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diploperennis Grasses of Mexico Grasses of North America Flora of Central America Flora of Jalisco Plants described in 1979 {{Panicoideae-stub