Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Phred schreef
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 . * * * Actually Carica papaya is a tree by any definition you care to select, which cannot be said for banana 'trees', palms and bonsai. I cannot really imagine Welwitschia being a tree. Habit of a species can indeed be "shrub or small tree", or "liana or tree", etc. PvR |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Leaves, leaves and yet more leaves! | United Kingdom | |||
River birch looses 90% of leaves in Texas heat wave, new leaves now emerging | Gardening | |||
River birch looses 90% of leaves in Texas heat wave, new leaves now emerging | Gardening | |||
leaves ... and more leaves - SUMMARY | Ponds | |||
leaves ... and more leaves | Ponds |