Xylem + phloem
Xylem conducts water and dissolved ions upward through the shoot. Phloem redistributes sugars and other assimilates according to source-sink relationships.
XylemPhloemCambial tissues
Anatomy Deep Lab · Transport
The stem is both structure and transport network.
Connect stem anatomy to whole-plant water movement, mineral transport, assimilate redistribution, branch support, and wound response. Local stem damage can matter without implying that the entire vascular system has failed.
Mechanical continuity
Stem diameter, taper, branch attachments, and tissue reinforcement contribute to structural support as canopy and reproductive mass increase.
Stem diameterBranch junctionWound position
Separate local from whole-plant effects
- Map lesions, wounds, cracks, or constrictions to specific nodes and branches.
- Compare symptoms above and below suspected injury points.
- Record water-status trends and time since pruning, training, or injury.
- Check whether the pattern follows one branch or the entire plant.
Surface appearance is not enough
A pithy or hollow stem and surface color are not standalone diagnoses. Interpret visible changes with transpiration, growth, damage history, and whole-plant water status.
Evidence boundary: vascular health cannot be confirmed from stem color alone.