Friday 27 April 2018

X is for Xylem ...




Well this one was easy ... and I learnt to spell it ... with an 'e' and not an 'u' ... Xylem - one type of transport tissue in vascular plants ... 
This is some inside-bark that I saw earlier
in the year here on the farm ... and knew!! it
could fit my X post ... which is what - X or P
 I've no idea!! but did like the bark.


... Phlöem is the other ... both surround the central core of a tree or stem ...


... now I need to explain it to you!!  Xylem is the woody central tissue ...


... while the outer is called the phlöem - or bast (a more delicate tissue) ... this is the inner bark of trees from which ropes were made ...




Xylem schematic from Wiki
8 = Xylem, 9 = Phloem,
10 = the vascular bundle
The Xylem conduct water and nutrients (mineral salts)  upwards from the roots to all other parts of the plant, and in my case long tall trees ... like those we get here on the Island and many throughout Canada ...

Red Cedar bark


As we are now at X ... I think this is elegantly sufficient to send you to other blogs and/or to remind you two more days then we will have happily sent our Xylem around the blogosphere - and the month of May bliss will have arrived.




That is X for Xylem ... from Aspects by a British 'girl' in Canada ...





Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

36 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

Xtraordinary.
You must be pretty well Xausted at this stage of the A-Z, but thank you. I have learned, I have laughed, I have wondered.

Liz A. said...

Yup, X is hard. I cheated. But Y... Oh, I rather enjoy my Y.

Marcy said...

I haven't thought about Xylem for years! It was probably back in a biology class. Thanks for the refresher course on this all important material!

Unknown said...

Hi Hilary. This has reminded my of Biology at school. I loved learning about plants. Your W post on Watersheds was also interesting, Geomorphology was (is) my favourite section of Geography at school and university. We learnt about water systems and watersheds in second year. Informative and unusual posts Hilary, I am really enjoying them. Have a great weekend. Kim x

Lynn said...

Well done, Hilary! I wondered what you would do with the X. :) I've enjoyed my marathon read this morning. (I mentioned earlier that I have been off the computer due to recovery from a foot injury, so am catching up a little this morning. Cheers!

Jz said...

X is the worst... but, as my nephew would say, you dominated it!
(That probably sounds a lot better coming out of his mouth than mine, but I'm sticking with it...)
Well done... nearly there! :-)

Joanne said...

You kicked X! Great job and tie in to Canada. Have a super weekend

Keith's Ramblings said...



X-cellent Hilary, and as informative as ever! X is a tricky customer and I have to confess I cheated - with Rosey's help of course. See you Monday- Y not?

A-Z of My Friend Rosey!

Lynda Dietz said...

This was great and informative. I never knew the name but now, I'll hopefully not forget it.

Jo said...

Good one Hilary, never heard of Xylum or Xylem or Phloem come to that. Never really thought about it, knew trees obtained nutrition that way but didn't know there was a name for it.

Jacqui said...

I remember when 'xylem and phloem' used to roll of my tongue. Now, they're more of a metaphor for some part of life. Nice X.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ EC - thanks ... I've thoroughly enjoyed it this year ... as I've learnt so much ... and am delighted you've laughed too ... and oh yes wondering ... that's such fun ...

@ Liz - one has to be imaginative - but this time was easy as there was an X ...

@ Marcy - I'm sure I learnt about it ... but it was good to write about both of them ...

@ Kim - we just did plain geography or plain biology ... but I obviously picked up enough to enjoy the subjects. The W for Watersheds was a great find ... I'm glad I included it ... thank you!

@ Lynn- glad your foot is improving ... and totally understand being away off line - if you've been recovering from an op ... good to see you here ...

@ Jz - this sounds great coming from you ... you can pass on my thoughts too to your nephew - clever lad ... glad he's enjoying your A-Z posts ...

@ Joanne - thanks ... it seemed a good choice ...

@ Keith - thank you ... X is a tricky customer and sometimes I need to do a 'Rosey' .. but this time - it's a real relevant subject ... and you will see me for two more ... Y,Z ...

@ Lynda - these things come and go don't they ... not sure how I picked it up ... but it so relevant to these great trees ...

@ Jo - thanks ... it matched so appropriately - X was never given a second thought ... it was here!

@ Jacqui - I'm sure they did mine too - 'cept it's so long ago!! Yes, a metaphor for some part of life ...

Cheers Hilary ... so glad you enjoyed my life giving X ... and I 'll see you later on for Y - we're almost there ... enjoy the weekend - it has turned 'hot' here ...

Chatty Crone said...

Xylem reminds me of the lymphatic system that my grandson is working on!

Sherry Ellis said...

I've been enjoying your A-Z posts. It will be a nice relief when May comes. I usually don't blog this much. It's a challenge to find the time!

Rhodesia said...

I have really enjoyed all these posts with Canadian info, I am quite sorry that it is almost over. Happy weekend Diane

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari Om
&*> Yes, nearly there and branches have reached out everywhere this April, fed with the xylem of shared experience! YAM xx

Guilie Castillo said...

I'd never heard of Xylem, Hilary—I think I've forgotten more than I ever learned in Biology class, haha. Super interesting, though! And yes, you're almost there! Hope you've had a wonderful A-to-Z, and look forward to catching up with your posts in May.

Thanks so much for the visit and lovely comment over at Damyanti's blog... Much, much appreciated, my friend :)
Guilie @ Life In Dogs

Deborah Weber said...

I am literally swooning from that photo of the inside bark Hilary - wow!

Susan Scott said...

xxxxxx great post Hilary xxxxxx
:) :) :)

quietspirit said...

In college zoology class, we had to know the difference between xylem and phloem. I think of it every time I deal with celery.

Inger said...

Trust you to find an X word so interesting. I had no idea about any of this.

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Great that you are involved in telling us about Canada and the flora there. Thank you for your visits to my blog!

Silvia Writes said...

Another wonderful and educational post, Hilary -- the magical power of the xylem. I have learned a lot from you this month. Thank you.

Out on the prairie said...

X-actly what worked well from the plant kingdom.

A Cuban In London said...

Amazing. This was a great botanical lesson for me. Thanks.

Greetings from London.

Emily in Ecuador said...

Very interesting. It seems like I learned about xylem some time ago (in school?) but had forgotten all about until your post. Thank you, Hilary!

Emily In Ecuador | eXpat Creates Kids Skating Club in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador

Michelle Wallace said...

I remember studying xylem and phloem in grade 11 and 12 biology (back in the day)
Can't remember the details of the lessons... was ages ago! LOL

(I haven't been around much as I've been busy with a 100words100days challenge... haven't even dropped by any A to Z posts during April...)

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Sandie - I'm sure this is similar ... good luck to Andy!

@ Sherry - thanks so much ... yes it'll be lovely and relatively quiet next week! I bet you've been rattling and rolling - as you've always got so much on ...

@ Diane - thanks so much ... I suspect there'll be a lot more Canadian posts coming the blog's way!

@ Yamini - lots of connections made ... blogging is extraordinary ...

@ Guilie - well I must say I couldn't have told you what the word was and not sure how I came across it ... but it's so relevant to Canada with its long tall trees ... don't we all forget so much from our school days ... I certainly don't remember this sort of thing. It'll be good to see you in May ... and glad I commented over re your puppies at Damyanti's blog ...

@ Deborah - I have more of those bark photos ... in fact I could probably spend days on end taking photos of bark!! So if you want some let me know ...

@ Susan ... thanks ... it was an easy one - in the end ...

@ Cecelia - well remembered ... I certainly hadn't - but thank you for the nod to celery ... a useful and appropriate 'memo' for Xylem and Phloem ...

@ Inger - thanks ... not sure how it came about ... but so logical for here with its trees ...

@ Monti - well I learnt quite a lot too about Canada and some of its flora and fauna. Pleasure coming over to see you ...

@ Silvia - thanks ... xylem is magical isn't it ... life is quite amazing - and so glad you've enjoyed the 'run around some of Canada' ...

@ Steve - it is amazing how plant life developed, separating component parts out ... so the plant benefited and lived ...

@ ACIL - that's good ... lovely to see you here ...

@ Emily - I gather we learnt about xylem in school - can't say I remember either ...

@ Michelle - well remembered ... and yes how much we forget ... good to see you and thank you for popping in ... making the time over and above your own challenge - sounds interesting ... but I'll stick with this one - I can get some education at the same time!!

Thanks everyone - always good to see you all ... just about time for a zizz - and after the Spring sunshine ... it's turned misty and very damp: just in time for the weekend!! Cheers and see you all around - Hilary

diedre Knight said...

Hi Hilary!

I'm certain I'd have learned a lot more in school, had you been the teacher ;-) This was terrific!

Juliet said...

I'm always fascinated by bark, and now I've learned a new word. Thanks Hilary.

M. Denise C. said...

A most awesome word you found for X!!!

DMS said...

I love that you found a great word for X and that you found a picture earlier in the year and new you'd be able to use it for A-Z. :)
~Jess

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Diedre - thanks so much ... I was so surprised I found 'an easy' X to write up about and then educate myself at the same time ...

@ Juliet - yes bark is really interesting isn't it ... and I certainly don't remember my biology classes learning about the way tissue distributed plant-life nutrients to parts of the flora of this world.

@ Denise - yes I thought it was a pretty special 'X' for my A-Z on Canada ... so appropriate with all the trees we have here ...

@ Jess - I have to say I was pleased I'd photographed the bark when I was wandering around in the cold of late winter - not realising at that stage it'd fit my A-Z ... I knew I'd post about it ...

Thanks everyone - I'm fond of my X for Xylem!! Just very happy everyone else is ... cheers Hilary

aFieldtriplife.com said...

You are clever and creative - what a great word for the letter X. Now I know all about Xylem!

Pradeep Nair said...

Hi Hillary,
I stumbled on your blog while surfing the Master List of the A2Z Challenge.
Xylem was one of my options for the letter X. The word reminds me of my biology class and the teacher. Nice to see you blogged on it :-)
I went through some of your posts. Interesting ones, about Canada. That's a country I once wanted to move to.
Do check out my blog. I don't know if you would like the assorted topics I blog about.
Take care.
- Pradeep | bpradeepnair.blogspot.in

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Claire - I enjoy 'making' things fit for the A-Z and making life easy and interesting for one and all ... Thank you.

@ Pradeep - many thanks for the visit ... that's great you've come back over. I gather quite a lot of readers remembered their biology class - I'm afraid I didn't - too long ago! But I enjoy the learning ...

I'm grateful you've been through others of my Canadian posts ... it's been interesting for me to write them up ... and I can understand you thinking you'd like to move here - but I'm sure you're happy where you are ... I'll be over - to see you at your blog ...

Thanks so much to the two of you - cheers Hilary