bark of the tree-sponge type

I never expected a sponge and a bark to fuse together..

sponge type tree bark illuminator 40X

This bark seen the pictures truly fascinated me because of how it was formatted to protect the tree. While the outer layer was smoothly rough, the internal features were very sponge-like as seen on the pictures. The sponge-like features are shown to be like multiple cushions softening the inner layer to almost a pillow.

sponge type tree bark 100X zoom in illuminator

sponge type tree bark smooth side 100X

As seen on these pictures, there are multiple layers on the tree bark, the soft side covering the rest of the internal cells and acting as a different protective layer from the rough external surface of the bark.

sponge type tree bark tough side 100X