The geographically isolated annual teosinte from the coastal plain and emba
yments/estuaries near the Gulf of Fonseca, Nicaragua, is differentiated fro
m Zea luxurians from southeastern Guatemala by its much longer and more abu
ndant tassel branches, larger number of spikelets per branch, and longer, m
ore pronouncedly transversely rugose outer glumes, as well as by its low-el
evation coastal habitat. Molecular (ribosomal ITS) evidence and other data,
placing it basal to Z. luxurians, seem to support this taxonomic segregati
on.