A Krummholz literally translated means 'Crooked wood', and refers to trees which are "resilient, shrub-like trees are shaped by environmental stress, with branches often growing close to the ground, adapting to survive severe conditions."
The word has stuck with me since reading Stanley Robinson's Mars series as a kid. They are described as the first substantial living thing which occurs in terraforming. This appeals to me - this view of a tree on Dartmoor could be similar to a view on another planet thousands of years from now (at least that's how my mind works!)
