There are two types of vascular tissue inside the stem of vascular plants: xylem and phloem, which act as the plant’s transport system.
The phloem consists of living cells and is sometimes also referred to as sieve tissue. This is where sugars, amino acids and other organic substances are transported to and from the leaves. In spring, starch rises from the roots up to the leaves and is converted into sugar (glucose). In autumn, the flow of sugar goes in the opposite direction and is stored once again in the roots as starch.
The xylem and phloem look slightly different depending on the type of plant. Flowering plants, for example, are divided into monocots (e.g. grasses and lilies) and dicots (e.g. deciduous trees and cotton plants) based on the number of leaves that develop from the first sprout.
Links
ReThink – Plants Knowledge
Magnus Ehingers Education – The stem and the transportation chanel
Maj 2026, TÄNKOM | Revised August 2026, RETHINK
