Pod corn explained

Pod corn
Species:	Zea mays
Variety:	Zea mays var. tunicata

Pod corn or wild maize is a variety of maize (corn).^{[1] [2]} It is not a wild ancestor of maize but rather a mutant that forms leaves around each kernel.^[3]

Pod corn (tunicata Sturt) is not grown commercially, but it is preserved in some localities.^[4]

Pod corn forms glumes around each kernel which is caused by a mutation at the Tunicate locus. Because of its bizarre appearance, pod corn has had a religious significance to certain Native American tribes.^[5]

The six major types of corn are dent corn, flint corn, pod corn, popcorn, flour corn, and sweet corn.^[6]

Notes and References

1. Book: Maize Cobs and Cultures: History of Zea mays L.. 20 April 2013. 2010. Springer. 978-3-642-04524-0. 114–.
2. 22829149. 2012. Han. JJ. Jackson. D. Martienssen. R. Pod corn is caused by rearrangement at the Tunicate1 locus. 24. 7. 2733–44. 10.1105/tpc.112.100537. 3426111. The Plant Cell.
3. Web site: Pod corn develops leaves in the inflorescences -- ScienceDaily.
4. Book: Soils, Plant Growth and Crop Production Volume II . Growth And Production Of Maize: Traditional Low-Input Cultivation . Willy H. Verheye . 2010 . EOLSS Publishers . 978-1-84826-368-0 . 77 .
5. Wingen, L. U., Munster, T., Faigl, W., Deleu, W., Sommer, H., Saedler, H., & Theissen, G. (2012). Molecular genetic basis of pod corn (Tunicate maize). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(18), 7115-7120. doi:10.1073/pnas.1111670109
6. Linda Campbell Franklin, "Corn," in Andrew F. Smith (ed.), The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013 (pp. 551–558), p. 553.