Together, the three species make up the Luxuriantes section in the genus Zea.

[4] Z. perennis is the sole tetraploid in the genus and fertile hybrids with diploid Zea species are rare.

Ribosomal ITS evidence suggested introgression between Z. perennis and Z. mays that must have come from either crossing the ploidy barrier or been from the diploid ancestral pool.

[5] Due to the economic importance of maize, significant scientific interest exists in using the genes of the other Zea species for crop improvement.

[6] To overcome this, breeding efforts have focused on deeper rhizomes that can survive below the frost line.