sclerenchymatic

Sclerenchymatic is an adjective used to describe tissues or cells that are composed of sclerenchyma, a plant tissue specialized for mechanical support. Sclerenchyma cells have thick, lignified secondary walls and are typically dead at maturity, which contributes to the rigidity and strength of the tissue. The two main forms of sclerenchyma are fibers, which are long and slender, and sclereids, which are varied in shape and often shorter; both types provide structural support to plant parts such as stems, leaves, and vascular bundles, or to protective structures.

In function, sclerenchymatic tissues primarily offer mechanical support and protection, helping plants resist bending, breaking, and compressive stress. They are not involved in transport or storage; instead, their rigidity is due to lignification of the secondary walls. Sclerenchyma can be found in a variety of plant regions, including vascular bundle regions, the rind of stems, the surrounds of seeds and fruits (as stone cells in some fruits), and in leaf blades where supportive strands occur.

Developmentally, sclerenchyma cells arise from other ground-tissue cells and differentiate by depositing thick, lignified secondary walls. Once mature, the cells typically die, leaving behind a hollow skeleton that maintains tissue firmness. The term sclerenchymatic is used in botanical descriptions to distinguish tissues with these sclerenchyma characteristics from other plant tissues such as parenchyma or collenchyma.