Vascular cambium
The vascular cambium is a lateral meristem.
It is the source of both the secondary xylem (inwards, towards the pith) and the secondary phloem (outwards), and is between these tissues in the stem and root. Only a few leaves even have a vascular cambium.[1]
Vascular cambium is a type of meristem - a tissue consisting of embryonic (not specialized) cells which can produce other (and more differentiated) plant tissues originate. Primary meristems are the apical meristems on root tips and shoot tips. Another lateral meristem is the cork cambium, which produces cork, part of the bark.
Synonyms
- wood cambium
- main cambium
- bifacial cambium
Vascular Cambium Media
Helianthus stem in section. The cells of the vascular cambium (F) divide to form phloem on the outside, located beneath the bundle cap (E), and xylem (D) on the inside. Most of the vascular cambium is here in vascular bundles (ovals of phloem and xylem together) but it is starting to join these up as at point F between the bundles.
Related pages
References
- ↑ Ewers, F.W. 1982. Secondary growth in needle leaves of Pinus longaeva (bristlecone pine) and other conifers: Quantitative data. American Journal of Botany 69: 1552-1559. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2442909