cambium

American  

[kam-bee-uhm] / ˈkæm bi əm /

noun

Botany.

cambiums, plural cambia plural

1. a layer of delicate meristematic tissue between the inner bark or phloem and the wood or xylem, which produces new phloem on the outside and new xylem on the inside in stems, roots, etc., originating all secondary growth in plants and forming the annual rings of wood.

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cambium British  

/ ˈkæmbɪəm /

noun

1. botany a meristem that increases the girth of stems and roots by producing additional xylem and phloem See also cork cambium

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cambium Scientific  

/ kăm′bē-əm /

cambiums plural

1. A cylindrical layer of tissue in the stems and roots of many seed-bearing plants, consisting of cells that divide rapidly to form new layers of tissue. Cambium is a kind of meristem and is most active in woody plants, where it lies between the bark and wood of the stem. It is usually missing from monocotyledons, such as the grasses.

2. ◆ The vascular cambium forms tissues that carry water and nutrients throughout the plant. On its outer surface, the vascular cambium forms new layers of phloem, and on its inner surface, new layers of xylem. The growth of these new tissues causes the diameter of the stem to increase.

3. ◆ The cork cambium creates cells that eventually become bark on the outside and cells that add to the cortex on the inside. In woody plants, the cork cambium is part of the periderm.

4. See also secondary growth

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cambium Cultural  

1. The layer of a tree where growth occurs, just under the bark.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cambial
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• cambiums
  plural
• cambia
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cambium

1665–75; < Late Latin: an exchange, barter; akin to Latin cambiāre to exchange

Example Sentences

“My food bill is really different from not going into the office, not grabbing coffee,” said Melissa Yates May, Cambium Learning Group’s head of human resources.

From New York Times • Apr. 20, 2022

Yet, Cambium Learning Group and several other digital learning companies signed the pledge even though, at the time they joined, they had not begun full encryption, an elementary security measure.

From New York Times • Mar. 5, 2015

John Campbell, the chief executive of Cambium Learning, did not return an email seeking comment.

From New York Times • Mar. 5, 2015

The Cambium is made from a uniquely flexible natural rubber and organic cotton top, enhanced by a thin layer of structural textile for added resilience.

From The Guardian • Jul. 7, 2013

The ring or zone of tender forming tissue between the bark and the wood has been called the Cambium Layer.

From The Elements of Botany For Beginners and For Schools by Gray, Asa