Trunk (botany)

In botany, the trunk (or bole) is the stem and main wooden axis of a tree,[1] which is an important feature in tree identification, and which often differs markedly from the bottom of the trunk to the top, depending on the species.

The trunk is the most important part of the tree for timber production.

Trunks occur both in "true" woody plants and non-woody plants such as palms and other monocots, though the internal physiology is different in each case.

A stump is the part of a trunk remaining in the ground after the tree has been felled, or the earth-end of an uprooted tree which retains its un-earthed roots.

The trunk consists of five main parts: The outer bark, inner bark (phloem), cambium, sapwood (live xylem), and heartwood (dead xylem).