noun
- plural of phelloderm; the inner layer of cork tissue in woody plants, consisting of thin-walled cells produced inward by the cork cambium
Usage: botanical
Examples
- The phelloderms form part of the periderm in mature tree bark.
- Botanists study phelloderms to understand secondary growth in woody stems.
- The phelloderms contain living cells that store nutrients for the plant.
- Cross-sections of bark clearly show the phelloderms beneath the cork layer.
- During secondary growth, the cork cambium produces phelloderms toward the interior.