The monocot stem has a sclerenchymatous hypodermis, a large number of scattered vascular bundles, each surrounded by a sclerenchymatous bundle sheath and a large, conspicuous parenchymatous ground tissue. Vascular bundles are conjoint, closed (without cambium) and with endarch protoxylem. Peripheral vascular bundles are generally smaller than the centrally located ones. The phloem parenchyma is absent, and water-containing cavities are present within the vascular bundles.