One of the world's five mediterranean climate regions is found in central Chile. This climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The vegetation, called matorral, is composed primarily of leathery-leaved, evergreen shrubs that are well adapted to the long summer drought. The matorral is the only mediterranean area that has bromeliads. At lower elevation areas, somewhat inland, many of the shrubs are drought-deciduous; that is, they drop their leaves in the summer. In more inland parts of this biome, the espino tree is common.
Because South America extends so far south, it actually has a small region containing temperate forests. These forests range from temperate rain forest to drier temperate forest, and in all cases are typically dominated by southern beeches. The underngrowth is dominated by small evergreen trees and shrubs. Fuchsias, which are valued the world over for their showy flowers, are common in the undergrowth. Although not rich in species, the temperate rain forests of southern South America can be lush. In the far south, before the extreme climate restricts the vegetation to alpine tundra, a region of elfin woodlands predominates. These woodlands can be nearly impenetrable, with the densest growth often associated with patches of tall bamboo.
See also: Plants of the Subtropical Desert
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