Effects of wounding on transport in the phloem

The problem dealt with was the nature of the mechanisms of the recovery of the phloem of Phaseolus vulgaris from the effects of wounds. The influence of root removal on the transport of [¹⁴C]sucrose and of fluorescein was followed both in the direction of the root and in the opposite direction, towards the intact shoot. The removal of the root was found to cause a sharp but temporary decrease in the transport of sucrose towards the shoot; this was interpreted as the direct influence of the wound on the transport system. Similar results were observed concerning fluorescein transport, which also showed that the resumption of transport was in the entire phloem and not only in newly differentiated elements.