a perennial plant that sets its dormant vegetative buds just at or above the surface of the ground.

woody or herbaceous evergreen perennial from 25-50 cm tall or whose shoots die back periodically

low growing plant with living structures visible all year round

( Ecol.) A class of Ranukiaer's life forms. An undershrub or herb whose perennating buds are raised into the air, but not more than about 10 inches above the soil.

In the Raunkiær system for classifying plants, a chamaephyte is a plant whose growth-points (buds) survive seasons with adverse conditions (e.g., cold seasons, dry seasons) near the ground but not directly on it. Plants with regeneration buds on the soil surface are called hemicryptophytes. The distinction against Nanophanerophytes (like broom, juniper etc) is not always clear and remains (by a height of less than 10, 20 ... 100 cm ) arbitrary.