Premise of research. Epidermis and periderm protect internal plant tissues against environmental factors, water loses, and pathogen entry. Formation of periderm, which replaces epidermis in ontogeny, is generally known; however, the mechanisms involved in this process, as well as the deposition of cutin and suberin in the cell walls of protective tissues, are still poorly understood and require detailed analyses. Thus, in this research, the origin and activity of the first phellogen and the resulting structure of periderm are examined in five species of Cornus.Methodology. Analyses were performed based on the series of transverse sections of 1- to 10-yr-old branches. Various staining reactions were coupled with the autofluorescence in UV light to show the differences in the structure and chemical composition of periderm.Pivotal results. In analyzed species, two different mechanisms orchestrate the process of periderm development. In some species a continuous cylinder of periderm is rapidly formed in the s...