The Cork Cambium and the Production of Periderm
During secondary growth, the epidermis produced by primary growth splits and falls off the stem
It is replaced by a new protective tissues produced by the cork cambium
A cylinder meristematic tissue that initially forms from the outer cortex of the stem
Cork cambium produces cork cells, which form exterior to the cork cambium
As cork cells mature, they secrete suberin (a waxy substance) in their cell walls and then die
Cork cells function as a barrier to protect the stem from physical damage and from pathogens
The cork cambium + the cork are known as the periderm
The "bark" of the tree consists of the periderm + the phloem
What would happen if you removed a large ring of bark from a tree?
Unlike the vascular cambium which can grow in diameter via multiplicative growth, the cork cambium is fixed in size.
After a few weeks, the cork cambium loses meristematic ability
Expansion splits the original periderm
New cork cambium then forms deeper in the cortex of the stem
Eventually no more cortex remains, so the cork cambium then forms from parenchyma cells of the secondary xylem