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How does water flow upward in Phytolacca americana stems when we can clearly see strips and empty spaces?
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How does water flow upward in Phytolacca americana stems when we can clearly see strips and empty spaces?


Hello Guys,

I was looking at a longitudinal section of a Phytolacca americana stem (pic attached) and noticed something weird: the xylem/phloem or whatever you call it seems to form clear strips, and there are these blank spaces repeating every ~1 cm.

So my brain is screaming: how is water actually moving upward like this? I thought the xylem was supposed to be continuous, but these visible gaps make it look… segmented?

Can someone explain how water transport works in stems like this, and why it still manages to move efficiently despite these apparent “breaks”?

Thanks in advance.

by Infamous_Skin9752

4 Comments

  1. Gne1ss

    The water does usually not flow within the core of the stem but in the periphery. It is called “xylem”. Those are like microscopic tubes through which the water can flow up to the leaves. Going even further to the bark, there will be the “phloem”, which would transport photosynthesis products (e.g. sugars) from the leaves tonother organs.
    You would need to use a microscope to see those structures.

    The core of the plant stem in perennial plants often is dead.

  2. Consistent_Scheme570

    What you are seeing in the middle of this stem is called a chambered pith. Many plants have stems with a central pith area filled with ground tissue, but in some plants this can also be chambered or even hollow.

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