corn tassel (see Karttunen); literally, the hair of the corn cob; the corn plant has a tassel (masculine) at the top of the plant, but each cob has silk (feminine). The elotzontli might really refer to the "hair" on the top of the cob rather than the tassel at the top of the plant.
an herb used in a medicine for fighting "growling" intestines
Martín de la Cruz, Libellus de medicinalibus indorum herbis; manuscrito azteca de 1552; segun traducción latina de Juan Badiano; versión española con estudios comentarios por diversos autores (Mexico: Fondo de Cultural Económica; Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, 1991), 47 [31v.].