subshrub

sub·shrub  (sbshrb)

n.

1. An herb having a woody lower stem.

2. A low shrub; an undershrub.

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subshrub [ˈsʌbˌʃrʌb]

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Botany) a small bushy plant that is woody except for the tips of the branches

subshrubby  adj

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

subshrub - low-growing woody shrub or perennial with woody base suffrutex darling pea, poison bush - either of two Australian plants of the genus Swainsona that are poisonous to sheep Amsonia tabernaemontana, blue star - subshrubs of southeastern United States forming slow-growing clumps and having blue flowers in short terminal cymes periwinkle - chiefly trailing poisonous plants with blue flowers Aralia nudicaulis, false sarsaparilla, wild sarsaparilla, wild sarsparilla - common perennial herb having aromatic roots used as a substitute for sarsaparilla; central and eastern North America American spikenard, Aralia racemosa, life-of-man, petty morel - unarmed woody rhizomatous perennial plant distinguished from wild sarsaparilla by more aromatic roots and panicled umbels; southeastern North America to Mexico Aralia hispida, bristly sarsaparilla, bristly sarsparilla, dwarf elder - bristly herb of eastern and central North America having black fruit and medicinal bark bloodleaf - any plant of the genus Iresine having colored foliage Cleome pinnata, desert plume, Stanleya pinnata, prince's-plume - perennial of southwestern United States having leathery blue-green pinnatifid leaves and thick plumelike spikes of yellow flowers; sometimes placed in genus Cleome California tree poppy, matilija poppy, Romneya coulteri - tall branching subshrub of California and Mexico often cultivated for its silvery-blue foliage and large fragrant white flowers burdock, clotbur - any of several erect biennial herbs of temperate Eurasia having stout taproots and producing burs Argyranthemum frutescens, Chrysanthemum frutescens, marguerite daisy, Paris daisy, marguerite - perennial subshrub of the Canary Islands having usually pale yellow daisylike flowers; often included in genus Chrysanthemum wormwood - any of several low composite herbs of the genera Artemisia or Seriphidium sage brush, sagebrush - any of several North American composite subshrubs of the genera Artemis or Seriphidium beggar's-ticks, bur marigold, burr marigold, sticktight, beggar-ticks - any of several plants of the genus Bidens having yellow flowers and prickly fruits that cling to fur and clothing centaury - any plant of the genus Centaurea matchbush, matchweed - any of several plants of the genus Gutierrezia having tiny flower heads that resemble the heads of matches guayule, Parthenium argentatum - much-branched subshrub with silvery leaves and small white flowers of Texas and northern Mexico; cultivated as a source of rubber American feverfew, Parthenium integrifolium, prairie dock, wild quinine - stout perennial herb of the eastern United States with whitish flowers; leaves traditionally used by Catawba Indians to treat burns bastard pimpernel, chaffweed, false pimpernel - weedy plant having short dry chafflike leaves thrift - any of numerous sun-loving low-growing evergreens of the genus Armeria having round heads of pink or white flowers marsh rosemary, sea lavender, statice - any of various plants of the genus Limonium of temperate salt marshes having spikes of white or mauve flowers corchorus - any of various plants of the genus Corchorus having large leaves and cymose clusters of yellow flowers; a source of jute diapensia - any boreal low-growing evergreen plant of the genus Diapensia loosestrife - any of numerous herbs and subshrubs of the genus Lythrum deer grass, meadow beauty - any of several plants of the genus Rhexia usually having pink-purple to magenta flowers; eastern North America St John's wort - any of numerous plants of the genus Hypericum having yellow flowers and transparently dotted leaves; traditionally gathered on St John's eve to ward off evil false heather, golden heather, Hudsonia ericoides - North American decumbent evergreen heathlike plant with yellow flowers beach heather, Hudsonia tomentosa, poverty grass - small heathlike plant covered with white down growing on beaches in northeastern North America Cassia fasciculata, Chamaecrista fasciculata, partridge pea, sensitive pea, wild sensitive plant - tropical American plant having leaflets somewhat sensitive to the touch; sometimes placed in genus Cassia