Plant sap
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- "Sap" redirects here. For other uses see sap (disambiguation).
Sap is the fluid carried inside the xylem or phloem of a plant, circulating to distribute food and water to various parts of the plant. Common uses of the word "sap" include any fluid within a plant body, especially various defensive compounds, such as latex, resins, and mucilage.
Gummosis is the formation of patches of a gummy substance on the surface of certain plants, particularly trees. This occurs when "sap" (technically a latex) oozes from wounds or cankers as a reaction to outside stimuli such as adverse weather conditions, infections, insect attacks, or other mechanical damage. In many species, the sticky nature of sap has the effect of plugging wounds and thus deterring attacks by insects, bacteria and fungi.
Maple tree xylem sap is the basic ingredient in maple syrup. The sap of the rubber tree is used to make latex, which is vulcanized to make rubber. Spruce gum is another tree sap that was used by Anishinaabe peoples in Canada for small quick repairs to wood articles. The sap was collected and used in its raw form. Chewed, it makes a good emergency deep woods survival food. Pine sap collection for the naval stores industry created the wealth that was a substantial part of the agricultural economy of the southeastern United States between the 1860s and 1960s. In some countries (e.g., Latvia) it is usual to collect the sap of birch trees for human consumption; the sap is extracted during spring and can be used fresh or fermented.
Other non-tree plants also have "sap", such as euphorbias (including poinsettias) and milkweeds. Over thousands of years most plant saps turn into amber, a useful preservative.
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