MadSci Network: Botany |
Rest of Question: them still functionable ? and where are the secondary phloem ? Reply: The secondary xylem in the center often stops functioning as the tree ages. Some trunks have a heartwood, often darker in color, of nonfunctional xylem. The outer functional xylem is called sapwood, which is often lighter in color. Secondary phloem is a thin layer under the bark. It doesn't get very thick because it is lost as the trunk increases in diameter. Between the secondary xylem and secondary phloem is the vascular cambium, where cells divide to form both secondary xylem and secondary phloem. Reference Secondary Xylem/Phloem Cross section of a tree trunk
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