Cotton stem. Light micrograph (LM). Cotton plants of the genus Gossypium, belong to the hibiscus, or mallow, family (Malvaceae). Cotton, one of the world's leading agricultural crops, is plentiful and economically produced, making cotton products relatively inexpensive. Cotton has a dicot stem vascular arrangement. Vascular tissues transport water and dissolved substances inside the plant and helps support the stem. The two types of vascular tissue are xylem and phloem. Xylem carries water and dissolved ions from the roots to stems and leaves. Phloem carries dissolved sugars from the leaves to all other parts of the plant. Xylem has two kinds of conducting cells, tracheids and vessel elements. Ground tissue of the stem (called pith and cortex) develops support cells to hold the young plant upright. The dicot stem has a distinct ring of vascular bundles. Magnification: x10 at 10 cms wide.