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
Botany 2000 the newsletter, the UNESCO Botany 2000-Asia program sponsors occasional workshops on the taxonomy, ethnobotany and chemistry of various plant families, as well as training courses in herbarium techniques and curation. Botany 2000-Africa is implemented by UNESCO's Nairobi Office and deals with the conservation and use of the medicinal flora of Africa. Some of the activities of the Botany 2000-Africa program are published in: S. Edwards and Z. Asfaw (Editors): "The Status of Some Plant Resources in Parts of Tropical Africa". Botany 2000: East and Central Africa; NAPRECA Monograph Series No. 2. Published by "Natural Products Research Network for Eastern and