A plant that is able to flourish in conditions of low light intensity. Some shade species are sensitive to intense light and cannot live in the open. Shade plants usually have thinner epidermal and palisade layers and fewer stomata than normal. They also tend to have a short compensation period, i.e. the food reserves used in respiration at night are quickly replaced by photosynthesis in the day. Shade plants grow in woodlands where the trees, when in leaf, form a canopy, cutting out much of the light. Green light, the part of the spectrum least absorbed by plants, is predominant beneath a closed canopy. Examples of shade plants are mosses, enchanter's nightshade (Circaea lutetiana), certain violets (Viola), and dog's mercury (Mercurialis perennis). Some trees are also tolerant of shade. For example, yew trees can tolerate the deep shade in beech woods but ash trees cannot. However ash trees can survive in oak woods where the shade is not as dense. Compare sun plant. |
