Lenticel
/LEN-tih-sel/🔬 Anatomy●● Intermediate
Lenticels are small, lens-shaped openings in the bark of woody stems and roots that permit gas exchange. They appear as raised dots, lines, or diamond shapes on young bark and are particularly visible on birch, cherry, and apple. As bark ages and thickens, lenticels may become obscured. They are important for species identification and also serve as entry points for some pathogens.
Etymology
From Latin lenticella (small lentil), diminutive of lens (lentil)
Example
“The horizontal lenticels on the cherry bark gave it the distinctive banded pattern valued in ornamental plantings.”