21-09-2004, 03:54 PM
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In article ,
(Iris Cohen) wrote:
most definitions of trees include some means of
distinguishing them from shrubs, generally height.
The one I am familiar with is that a shrub is a woody plant which is usually
under ten feet tall & has multiple stems. A tree is usually over ten feet tall
& usually has a single stem.
What about dwarf trees which are way under ten feet tall & might have multiple
trunks, like a dwarf birch? I would assume if the standard plant is a tree, the
dwarf form is also called a tree. Tsuga canadensis 'Minuta' is still a tree,
albeit 3" tall.
Dunno about that, Iris. If a standard lump on the ground is a
molehill, what makes it a mountain? Anyway, I'm *nearly* sure I've
seen taxonomic tomes where the habit of some species is said to be
"shrub or small tree". While that may indicate nothing more than
confusion in the mind of the taxonomist, is "tree" really definitive
in a descriptive sense for taxonomic purposes?
What about pawpaw (_Carica papaya_) "trees" which are really very
large herbs? (I had one in the backyard years ago that was 64 feet
tall -- as measured horizontally after it blew over in a storm  .
Cheers, Phred.
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LID
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