These forests are confined to the lowlands and semi-uplands of Chile from Coquimbo in the north to the Peninsula de Taitao in the south. They include a variety of evergreen forests now mainly characteristic of the Coastal Range (Coastal Cordillera) but were also present in the Coastal Depression between the Coastal Range and Andean Mountains before large-scale deforestation took place. Examples include the famous Valdivian Forests, centred on the town of Valdivia but extending some 250 km from the Tolten River to south of the Llico River, the forests of the Nahuelbuta Range between the Bio-Bio River and the Imperial River, and the forests of the Chiloe Archipelago. The dominant tree species may include Drimys winteri, Eucryphia cordifolia, Nothofagus dombeya, N. obliqua (one of the few deciduous species), Laurelia philippiana, L. sempervirens and Persea lingua together with several endemic species, such as Aextoxicon punctatum (Aextoxicaceae), Weinmannia trichosperma (Cunoniaceae) and the near endemic conifer Saxegothaea conspicua (Podocarpaceae). In poorly drained areas and by rivers two other endemic trees - Tepualia stipularis (Myrtaceae) and the conifer Pilgerodendron unifera (Cupressaceae) may predominate. Other less conspicuous endemic trees and shrubs are Caldcluvia paniculata (Cunoniaceae), Peumus boldus (Monimiaceae), Pseudopanax laetevirens, P. valdiviensis (Araliaceae), and Quillaja saponaria (Rosaceae). These forests also support a wide range of lianas and epiphytic species including several endemic species such as Asteranthera ovata, Mitraria coccinea, Sarmienta repens (Gesneriaceae), Boquila trifoliata (Lardizabalaceae), Elytropus chilensis (Apocynaceae), Lapageria rosea (Luzuriagaceae)and Philesia magellanica (Philesiaceae). Also of interest among these is the endemic temperate bromeliad Fascicularia bicolor (Bromeliaceae). Among the many ground layer species is the large endemic fern Blechnum chilense (Blechnaceae), but many of the endemic vascular plants have very narrow ranges. For example, Haplopappus nahuelbutae (Asteraceae) and Mutisia araucana (Asteraceae) are confined to the Nahuebuta Range. These uplands also provide refuge for the last remaining population of endemic vine Berberidopsis corallina (Berberidopsidaceae). This genus is of considerable biogeographical interest because of its closeness to the Australian genus Streptothamnus.
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