Plant transport tissues - Xylem and phloem Xylem The xylem close xylem vesselsNarrow, hollow, dead tubes with lignin, responsible for the transport of water and minerals in plants.. Phloem, tissues in plants that conduct foods made in the leaves to all other parts of the plant. Phloem is composed of various specialized cells called sieve elements, companion cells, phloem fibers, and phloem parenchyma cells. Primary phloem is formed by the apical meristems of root and shoot tips.

Phloem (/ ˈfloʊ.əm /, FLOH-əm) is the living tissue in vascular plants that transports the soluble organic compounds made during photosynthesis and known as photosynthates, in particular the sugar sucrose, [1] to the rest of the plant. This transport process is called translocation. [2] In trees, the phloem is the innermost layer of the bark, hence the name, derived from the Ancient Greek.. Phloem cells include sieve elements, companion cells, and parenchyma cells. Organic substances like sugars, amino acids, and hormones are transported by the phloem from source organs like leaves to sink organs like roots, fruits, and developing tissues in a process known as translocation.