Turcicum frumentum, Türckisch Korn: maize plant woodcut, page 476

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The Latin "Turcicum frumentum" and German "Türckisch Korn" both label this plant as Turkish grain, a name that reflects a common mistake of the period. Maize reached Europe from the Americas in the early 1500s, and many writers assumed it had come through the Ottoman lands in the eastern Mediterranean. Woodcuts like this one were among the first attempts to show the plant to readers who had never seen it growing, so the artist often worked from secondhand descriptions. It is worth comparing the cob, leaves and tassels here with later, more accurate illustrations.

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