Maize Plant Botanical Description

Maize has a very distinct growth form; the lower leaves being like broad flags, 50–100 cm long and 5–10 cm wide; the stems are erect, conventionally 2–3 metres in height, with many nodes, casting off flag-leaves at every node. Internodes can reach 20–30 centimetres. Under these leaves and close to the stem grow the ears. The ears are female inflorescences, tightly covered over by several layers of leaves; they do not show themselves easily until the emergence of the pale yellow silks from the leaf whorl at the end of the ear. The silks are elongated stigmas that look like tufts of hair, at first green, and later red or yellow.