Cylindrical regions of dividing cells that run along the sides of stems and roots, responsible for secondary growth that increases plant girth. The main lateral meristems are the vascular cambium and cork cambium.
From Latin 'lateralis' (of the side) and Greek 'meristos' (divisible), describing meristems positioned along the sides rather than at tips. The term developed as botanists distinguished between different types of growth-producing tissues.
Lateral meristems are what make the difference between a blade of grass and a giant sequoia! While grasses only have apical meristems and stay thin, trees have lateral meristems that can keep adding girth for thousands of years, creating some of the most massive living organisms on Earth.
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