Subshrub

The term subshrub (

Because the criteria are matters of degree (normally of height) rather than of kind, the definition of a subshrub is not sharply distinguishable from that of a shrub; examples of reasons for describing plants as subshrubs include ground-hugging stems or low growth habit. Subshrubs may be largely herbaceous though still classified as woody, with overwintering perennial woody growth much lower-growing than deciduous summer growth. Some plants described as subshrubs are only weakly woody and some persist for only for a few years; others however, such as Oldenburgia paradoxa live indefinitely (though is still vulnerable to external effects), rooted in rocky cracks.

Small, low shrubs such as

• ecosystems on nutrient-poor soils or rock^[3]
• exposed alpine or arctic ecosystems where seasonal or perennial wind and freezing conditions are prone to kill vulnerable growing shoots^[4]
• ecosystems subject to frequent fires and burning, where many species of e.g. Banksia or Eucalyptus regrow from a lignotuber or caudex.^[5]
• heavily grazed or overgrazed ecosystems, such as tortoise turf^[6]

Examples of chamaephytes

The term chamaephyte is most formally used within the context of

• Raunkiær plant life-form
• Shrub
• Prostrate shrub
• Woody plant

References