Woodiness
Woodiness is the characteristic of plants to develop and maintain woody tissue, primarily secondary xylem produced by the vascular cambium. In woody plants, stems and roots gain rigid structure through lignified cell walls, enabling greater height and longevity compared with herbaceous vegetation.
Wood is composed of xylem cells such as tracheids and, in many angiosperms, vessel elements, along with
Woodiness has evolved repeatedly in plants and is often associated with a perennial, self-supporting life history.