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A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or dwarf shrub is a short woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a related term. "Subshrub" is often used interchangeably with "bush".〔Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Derivation and Accent; Published by Gerald Duckworth & Co. London, 4th ed 1928〕 Because the criteria are matters of degree 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, 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, rooted in rocky cracks. Small, low shrubs such as lavender, periwinkle, and thyme, and many members of the family Ericaceae, such as cranberries and small species of Erica, are often classed as subshrubs. ==Definition== A chamaephyte or dwarf-shrub is a plant that bears hibernating buds on persistent shoots near the ground – usually woody plants with perennating buds borne close to the ground, usually less than above soil surface. The significance of the closeness to the ground is that the buds remain within the soil surface layer and are thus somewhat protected from various adverse influences. Accordingly the chamaephyte habit is especially common in stressful environments, for example: * ecosystems on nutrient-poor soils or rock * exposed alpine or arctic ecosystems where seasonal or perennial wind and freezing conditions are prone to kill growing shoots * ecosystems subject to frequent burning, where many species of e.g. Banksia or Eucalyptus regrow from a lignotuber or caudex. * heavily grazed or overgrazed ecosystems, such as tortoise turf 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「subshrub」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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