phloem

[ floh-em ]
/ ˈfloʊ ɛm /

noun

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

Origin of phloem

< German (1858), irregular < Greek phló(os) bark (variant of phloiós) + -ēma deverbal noun ending

Words nearby phloem

phlegmonous abscess, phlegmonous gastritis, phlegmonous mastitis, phlegmy, phlm., phloem, phloem necrosis, phloem ray, phlogistic, phlogiston, phlogopite

Example sentences from the Web for phloem

British Dictionary definitions for phloem

phloem
/ (ˈfləʊɛm) /

noun

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

Word Origin for phloem

C19: via German from Greek phloos bark

Scientific definitions for phloem

phloem
[ flō′ĕm′ ]

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. See more at cambium photosynthesis. Compare xylem.

Cultural definitions for phloem

phloem
[ (floh-em) ]

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