Do plants have supporting structures? What is their significance?

Plants, like living organisms, have supporting structures. The supporting structure of plants is formed by four types of tissues: parenchyma, collenchyma, sclerenchyma and xylem. The parenchyma provides the supporting function of herbaceous plants, and the sclerenchyma and xylem – of trees and shrubs, forming wood. Plants use supporting structures to bring stems and leaves to the surface of the ground and then hold them upright. Support structures resist gravity, so they are inherent in terrestrial plants, and they are not needed in aquatic plants.