Main Entry: phlo·em

Pronunciation: \ˈflō-ˌem\

Function: noun

Etymology: German, from Greek phloios, phloos bark; perhaps akin to Greek phlein to teem, abound, phlyein, phlyzein to boil over — more at fluid

Date: 1875

: a complex tissue in the vascular system of higher plants that consists mainly of sieve tubes and elongated parenchyma cells usually with fibers and that functions in translocation and in support and storage — compare xylem