Water and minerals are transported up through the plant stem in xylem vessels. Xylem is a tissue consisting of dead, hollowed-out cells that form a system of pipes.

In a mature flowering plant or tree, most of the cells that make up the xylem are specialised cells called vessels.

The researchers characterized fine root traits related to cortex, stele, and vessels across five topological orders in 80 individual trees of 20 species in Xishuangbanan, China. They found strong ...