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Xylem A tissue in the plant that transports water and nutrients upward from the roots to the foliage. Cells connected from end to end form xylem tubes. Vessels are the predominant xylem cells in flowering plants and have open ends. Tracheids predominate in the conifer (pines etc.) xylem; rather than having open ends, they have pits along their sides connecting to adjacent tracheid cells. Vessel and tracheid cells are nonliving at the time they carry out the function of water and nutrient transport. (Nelson, 2003).