pienentyvä
Pienentyvä is a term used in Finnish botany and ecology to describe growth forms characterized by persistent small stature. It is applied to vascular plants, bryophytes, and certain lichens that remain small, either because of genetic dwarfism or because their development adapts to harsh environments. The term is descriptive and not a formal taxonomic category; it appears in field observations and syntheses concerned with plant form and adaptation.
Etymology and usage: the word is formed from pieni, meaning small, and the suffix -ntyvä, which marks
Characteristics: pienentyvä plants show compact habit, short stature, short internodes, small leaves or leaves reduced in
Causes and mechanisms: a combination of genetic factors and environmental constraints such as low nutrients, cold
Ecology and distribution: the concept is especially relevant to alpine and Arctic environments in Nordic countries,
See also: dwarfism in plants; phenotypic plasticity; alpine ecology.