Morphological traits of the plant vascular system such as xylem vessel diameter have been
implicated in many physiological processes including resistance to drought-induced xylem
cavitation and vessel occlusion during infection with vascular wilt diseases. In both events,
xylem vessels lose function because they become filled with air or tyloses and gels. Xylem
cavitation has been well studied, whereas vessel occlusion remains purely descriptive even
though it is a critical response to wounding injuries and compartmentalization of vascular …