Lateral Meristems

Secondary or lateral growth increases the girthof plant organs in dicots and gymnosperms. It isachieved by the coordinated activities of lateral meristems, namely the vascular cambium andcork cambium (phellogen). The vascular cambium produces the conductive tissues secondary xylem(wood) and secondary phloem (bark), while thecork cambium generates the protective phellem(cork) against stresses from the surrounding environment. These meristematic tissues contain the stem cells to generate new tissues continuously and represent the hallmarks of perennial growth habit.