part of the vascular bundles; the outer 'sapwood' which contains vessels for moving nutrients and photosynthetic products around the system

In vascular plants, the phloem is a system of webs that distribute organic nutrients (photosynthetic products), mainly sucrose (sugar), to all parts of the plant where they are needed. In trees, the phloem is located under the innermost layer of the borer. The phloem is primarily responsible for transporting soluble organic matter produced during photosynthesis.