The long, narrow strip of Patagonia’s western border supports vegetation like that found in the adjacent cordillera, primarily deciduous and coniferous forests. Many of the plants have medicinal qualitites which are very important for pharmaceuticals, many of which are still unknown. The vast tableland region is divided into northern and southern zones, each of which has its own characteristic vegetation.
The larger northern steppe zone extends south to about latitude 46° S. In the north is found monte vegetation—xerophytic (drought-tolerant) scrub forests—which gives way farther south to open bushland of widely spaced thickets between about 3 and 7 feet high. Grassesflourish in the sandy areas, while halophytic (salt-tolerant) grasses and shrubs predominate in the salt flats
