phloem

[ floh-em ]

noun

1. the part of a vascular bundle consisting of sieve tubes, companion cells, parenchyma, and fibers and forming the food-conducting tissue of a plant.

phloem

/ ˈfləʊɛm /

noun

1. tissue in higher plants that conducts synthesized food substances to all parts of the plant

phloem

/ flō′ĕm′ /

1. A tissue in vascular plants that conducts food from the leaves and other photosynthetic tissues to other plant parts. Phloem consists of several different kinds of cells: sieve elements, parenchyma cells, sclereids, and fibers. In mature woody plants it forms a sheathlike layer of tissue in the stem, just inside the bark.
2. See more at cambiumCompare xylem

phloem

1. The system of vessels in a plant that carries food from the leaves to the rest of the plant. ( See xylem .)

Word History and Origins

Origin of phloem¹

First recorded in 1870–75; from German Phloëm, irregularly formed from Greek phló(os), phloiós “bark (of a tree), rind (of a fruit)” + -ēma passive noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of phloem¹

C19: via German from Greek phloos bark

Example Sentences

The process of moving food around through phloem is known as translocation.

From Science News For Students

Extra phloem tissue that carries lots of food allows some pumpkins to grow to enormous sizes.

From Science News For Students

In some cases he seems to refer to the phloem and cambium by this name, and in other cases to the perimedullary zone.

From Project Gutenberg

These concentric rings of secondary xylem and phloem (fig. 9) afford a characteristic cycadean feature.

From Project Gutenberg

The tissue in question is marked by S, c, hb in the figure, and is called phloem or bast.

From Project Gutenberg

The browning in the vascular bundles appeared to be confined to the phloem tissue.

From Project Gutenberg

The central tissue (x) is called the woody tissue (xylem); the outer, the bast (phloem).

From Project Gutenberg