Ear (botany) Ear (botany) An ear is the grain-bearing tip part of the stem of a cereal plant, such as wheat or maize. It can also refer to "a prominent lobe in some leaves". The ear is a spike, consisting of a central stem on which tightly packed rows of flowers grow. These develop into fruits containing the edible seeds. In corn, it is protected by leaves called husks. In some species (including wheat), unripe ears contribute significantly to photosynthesis, in addition to the leaves lower down the plant. A parasite known as "Anguina tritici" (Ear Cockle) specifically affects the ears on
New Journal of Botany Society of Britain and Ireland. New Journal of Botany The New Journal of Botany is a triannual peer-reviewed scientific journal covering research on the native flora of Northern and Western Europe, including population and conservation biology, ecological genetics, autecological, physiological, and phenological studies, plant/animal interactions, and plant biochemistry. It was established in 1949 as Watsonia, with the subtitle "Journal & Proceedings of the Botanical Society of the British Isles". It was named after the eighteenth-century British botantist Hewett Watson. The journal obtained its current title in 2011 with volume numbering restarting at 1. The journal is published by Maney Publishing