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
Systematic Botany Expanded. Systematic Botany Systematic Botany is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering the study of systematic botany. It is published quarterly by the American Society of Plant Taxonomists. According to the "Journal Citation Reports", the journal has a 2010 impact factor of 1.897. "Systematic Botany" was established in spring 1976 under founding editor-in-chief William Louis Culberson (Duke University). The current editor-in-chief is James F. Smith (Boise State University). The American Society of Plant Taxonomists also publishes the peer-reviewed taxonomic monograph series, "Systematic Botany Monographs" since 1980. "Systematic Botany" is abstracted and indexed in Agricola, Agris, BioOne, PubMed, Scirus, and Science Citation