Secondary growth
An increase in the diameter/thickness/girth of
the axis due to the activities of lateral
meristems / secondary tissues (vascular
cambium and cork cambium)
Occurs only in dicot stem and root
Absent in monocot root and stem
Secondary growth in Dicot Stem
Growth in the length of main axis by the activity
of apical meristem = Primary growth
Increase in the thickness or girth of the axis due
to the formation of secondary tissue = Secondary
growth
Secondary growth in Dicot Stem
• Secondary tissue is formed by the activity of
cambium and cork-cambium.
• Cambium forms secondary tissues (sec. Xylem
and sec. Phloem) in the stelar region
• Cork-cambium forms secondary tissues
(Periderm) into cortical regions.
A. Activity of Vascular Cambium
(Growth in stellar region)
1. Formation of Cambium Ring
• Intrafascicular cambium of VB becomes
meristematic
• Medullary ray cells lying at the level of
vascular cambium also become meristematic
and form a strip of interfascicular cambium.
• Intrafascicular cambium + Interfascicular
cambium = Complete Cambium Ring
1. Formation of Cambium Ring
• The vascular cambium consists of two types of
cells
i. Fusiform initials = vertically oriented; dive to
form xylem and phloem
ii. Ray initials = smaller and isodiametric; give
rise to vascular rays of parenchyma
2. Formation of Secondary Vascular
Tissues
• The Cambium Ring cuts off new cells
i. Innerside = gradually modify into secondary
xylem
ii. Outerside = gradually modify into secondary
phloem
2. Formation of Secondary Vascular
Tissues
Secondary Phloem
• Consist of .....?
• The primary phloem on outer side gets crushed and
represented by small patches
Secondary Xylem
• Consists of ....?
• The vessels or tracheae are most abundant and are
2. Formation of Secondary Vascular
Tissues
• The cambium ring forms more tissues on the
inner side than on the outer side.
• As a result, secondary xylem forms the main
bulk of the plant body and is commonly
called wood.
• Its width increases with age.
3. Vascular Rays
• The primary xylem persists as conical projections
towards the pith.
• Ray initials of the cambium ring form some narrow
bands of parenchymatous cells that extend radially
from the pith to the phloem = Medullary rays or
Vascular Rays
• Rays present in xylem = xylem rays
3. Vascular Rays
• Depending upon the breadth, Vascular Rays
are:
i. One cell in breadth = Uniseriate
ii. Two or more cells in breadth = Multiseriate
3. Vascular Rays
• Enclose intercellular spaces
• Conduct water and organic food
• Permit diffusion of gases in radial direction
• Store food
4. Annular Rings
• The activity of vascular cambium are greatly affected by climate.
• In the spring season or early summer, the cambium becomes more
active and produces a large number of vessels with wider lumen -
called as Spring wood or Early wood
• During the autumn or winter season, the cambium becomes less
active and produces vessels with narrow lumen. Tracheids and wood
fibres are formed in large numbers - called as Autumn wood or Late
wood.
• Hence, the Annual Ring consists of Spring wood and Autumn wood.
4. Annular Rings
• The successive Annula Rings are formed year after year.
• In the oldest part of the tree, annual rings can be used in
determing the age of a tree.
• Annual Rings are more pronounced in temperate regions
• In tropical regions, the climate is more or less uniform.
Therefore, the annual rings are not well-marked and
does not correlate with the age of the tree.
4. Annular Rings
Dendrochronology:
An absolute dating technique using
the growth rings of trees.
Used in Fossil dating
Helpful in studying past climate
5. Sap wood and Heart wood
• In older stems, the woody trunk is
differentiated into:
i. Outer light coloured region = Sap wood or
Alburnum
ii. Inner dark coloured region = Heart wood or
Duramen
5. Sap wood and Heart wood
Sap wood:
• Composed of living and functional cells
• Take part in conduction of water and storage of
food
Heart wood:
• Consists of dead cells
• During the growth process, the rings of sap wood
5. Sap wood and Heart wood
• The living cells of sap wood gradually loose their
protoplast and water content.
• The lumen of the xylem vessels get blocked by the
ingrowths of the parenchyma cells.
• The adjacent parenchyma tissue enters through the pits
of vessels and gradually enlarges to form a balloon-like
structure, called Tyloses.
5. Sap wood and Heart wood
• Various plant products like gums, resins, oils, tannins are
deposited in the cells and provide colour to the heart wood.
• Therefore, the heart wood is stronger and more durable
than sap wood.
• The heart wood becomes resistant to the attacks of bacteria
and fungi due to the presence of antiseptic oils.
Types of Hard Wood
• Secondary xylem vessels formed in the early
wood are larger than that in the late wood =
Ring-Porous Wood.
Eg. ???
• Pores about same size and distributed evenly
throughout growth ring = Diffuse-Porous
Wood.
Eg. ???
B. Activity of Cork Cambium
(Growth in extra stellar region)
1. Formation of Periderm
• The epidermis ruptures due to secondary growth
in the stelar region
• The outermost layer of cortex/hypodermis (next
to epidermis) become meristematic and divide
• This dividing layer in the extra-stelar region is
known as cork-cambium or phellogen
1. Formation of Periderm
• The cork-cambium or phellogen divides to form
cells on outer and inner sides
– Outer side = Phellem or Cork
– Inner side = Phelloderm or Secondary Cortex
Phelloderm (Sec. Cortex) + Phellem (Cork) +
Phellogen (Cork-cambium) = Periderm
1. Formation of Periderm
Phelloderm or Secondary Cortex
• Composed of thin walled living cells
• Cell wall made up of cellulose having pits
• Intercellular spaces present
• Storage function
Phellem or Cork
• Composed of dead, compactly packed cells with lignified and
suberised thick cell walls
• Impermeable to water and gases
• Protection against micro-organisms, mechanical injury and
Bark = All the tissues outside the vascular
cambium
Lenticles
– Raised pores in the stems of woody plants
– Rounded or oval cells
– Intercellular spaces present
– Function: gaseous exchange through the
intercellular spaces
– Usually formed below the stomata
Secondary growth in Dicot Root
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