Job's Tears:

Individual grains of teosinte have a hard, flinty endosperm like popcorn. When they are heated, water contained within the starchy endosperm expands as steam, and the hard-shelled grains literally explode. Other varieties of modern corn, such as the delicious sweet corn sold in markets, have soft kernels with a sugary endosperm. The large populations and impressive cultural achievements of the Aztecs, Mayas and Incas would have been impossible without the coevolution of corn. Although the hard, colorful grains of Indian corn have been used for necklaces, early people probably realized the potential of this plant for food and began cultivating it. The use of Job's tears also dates back thousands of years, but the value of this plant for human adornment was apparently greater than its value for food.

An assortment of corn (Zea mays), including strawberry corn, popping corn, Indian corn and pod corn. Many botanical authorities believe that all of these amazing varieties were developed from a Mexican grass called teosinte, known as "madre de maíz" in the regions where it grows wild. In the two ears at far left (called pod corn), the individual grains are enclosed in papery bracts called glumes. Glumes are present is most native grasses, but have been selected against in modern edible corn for obvious reasons.

Hypothesis For Origin Of Pod Corn From Teosinte: The seed spike of teosinte consists of a single row of grains. Each grain is enclosed in a hard fruit case (called a cupule) and a pair of papery glumes. This spike is equivalent to an ear of modern corn. Tunicate Mutation: The grains are enclosed in a pair of husklike glumes (without the hard outer cupule) from which they can be threshed with ease. Further selection by pre-Columbian farmers could have reduced the size of the tunicate glumes and resulted in ears with many rows.

Grains of Indian corn come in different colors, such as purple, yellow and white. Sometimes the individual grains are purple with white mottling. This mottling effect defies Mendel's basic principles of genetics because individual grains may be multicolored rather than a single color. The explanation for this involves "jumping genes" or transposons, and earned Dr. Barbara McClintok the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1983 for her life-long research on corn genetics.

Native to tropical Asia, Job's tears (also called Adlay) are used for food, particularly by peasants of the Far East. The distinguished 17th century naturalist Georg Eberhard Rumphius stated that in his day Job's tears were planted in Java and Celebes on the margins of rice fields. According to Agnes Arber (The Gramineae, 1965), Job's tears were introduced into China in the first century A.D. by a Chinese general who conquered Tongking, where the grains were widely used as a cereal. The general became so fond of Job's tears that he carried back several cartloads of the seeds to his own country.

A patch of Job's tears (Coix lacryma-jobi) in full bloom at the WAYNE'S WORD headquarters in southern California. The numerous flower clusters contain immature, green "beads."

Like other cereals, there are many cultivars of Job's tears, including soft-shelled, easily-threshed types with a sweet kernel. In some, the hulled grain is adapted for parching or boiling like rice, while in others it can be milled, ground into flour and baked into bread. Reportedly, the grain has a higher protein content than most cereals. The grains are also utilized in soups, porridge, drinks and pastries. In India, the Nagas use the grain for brewing a beer called zhu or dzu. A Japanese variety called "Ma-Yuen" is brewed into a tea and an alcoholic beverage, and roasted seeds are made into a coffee-like drink. According to Agnes Arber, the leaves are used as fodder in parts of India, and are especially relished by elephants.

Assorted Job's tears trinkets. The Honduran seed doll has legs, arms, and a neck made of Job's tears. The head is from a cashew nut.

But of all the uses for Job's tears, probably the most important is bead jewelry. Over the years Mr. Wolffia has made a large collection of seed necklaces from tropical regions of the world, and roughly twenty percent of his collection contain Job's tears, often mixed with other colorful seeds. This is undoubtedly because Job's tears grow so prolifically throughout these regions, often as a wayside weed, and the beads are plentiful and easy to string. Their natural color is pearly white, but they can be readily dyed shades of red, blue, green and yellow. In addition to attractive bead necklaces, belts, bracelets and earrings, they are also made into lovely rosaries with a cross at one end. In Central America, strings of Job's tears are commonly used for the arms and legs of quaint little seed dolls. Although the practice seems somewhat questionable, strings of Job's tears were reportedly given to teething babies.

Yagua Indian necklace from the Amazon region of Peru. In addition to Job's tears, the necklace contains red & black seeds from Ormosia monosperma, shiny black beetle legs, and claws from the giant anteater.

Another remarkable use for Job's tears is for musical instruments. Shaker gourds are probably one of the earliest musical instruments. In Africa, hollow gourds are covered with a loose net strung with hundreds of Job's tears. As the beads slap against the gourd a loud shaker sound is produced--as good as any modern instrument for this purpose. Using the neck of the gourd as a handle, the sound of the bead net is amplified by the hollow gourd.

Job's tears are easy to grow in temperate climates and make an attractive annual in summer gardens. Sprays of the plant can be cut and dried for indoor bouquets. They are tied in small bundles and hung upside down in a shaded, dry, airy place until thoroughly dry. The beads can be dyed and strung into all sorts of creations. They can be worn as necklaces, or fashioned into bead curtains or colorful wall decorations. Vegetable and aniline clothing dyes are not very effective in dying the woody beads. The most vivid colors can be achieved by dipping or spraying them with primary color wood stains or quick-drying enamels. For durable, pliable necklaces that will not become brittle with time, ordinary dental floss works better than nylon fishing line. To facilitate the stringing process, a sewing needle threaded with dental floss can be inserted through each bead. In whatever creative way you display them, Job's tears are bound to make an interesting and unique conversation piece.

A Job's tear seed necklace from the Amazon River of Peru. In addition to red & black Ormosia seeds, small black Canna seeds and two human teeth, the necklace also contains a well-preserved piranha.

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