Anatomy of the Corn Plant

General Corn Plant Parts

• Corn plants are comprised of a stalk, leaves, leaf nodes and roots. Each corn plant also has a tassel and an ear, which are the reproductive parts of the plant.

Tassel

• The tassel is the male reproductive part of a corn plant. It consists of several small branches, along which small flowers grow. The flowers release pollen grains, which contain the male sex cell.

Ear

• The ear is the female reproductive part of a corn plant. Ears develop from "shanks," which are stalk-like structures that grow from the plant's leaf nodes. A corn plant may produce many ears, but the uppermost ear will grow to be the largest. The ear consists of a cob, eggs that eventually develop into kernels and silks. Pollination occurs when pollen from the male tassel falls on the female silks.