Stephen Smith

Colombia

Colombian corn or maize has little-known history due to the lack of prehistoric evidence from archaeological digs. It is postulated that a wild corn made its way down to Colombia and became isolated due to the rather mountainous terrain Colombia has. The bulk of corn is grown in the mountainous regions and in river valleys. Pollo and Pira, two popcorn landraces below, are considered the most primitive forms of corn in Colombia. If any were closest to wild corn, maybe even one with teosinte or Tripsacum (another wild grass) it would be Pollo. Only one prehistoric ear was found in the last 1930s in Colombia, and that ear most closely resembled the Pira landrace.