Located in the upper parts of the farellón (coastal cliffs) and in the coastal mountain range, extending along the coast of northern Chile, relict areas known as “fog oases” are found. Here cool moisture-laden air is trapped beneath a layer of warm dry air above. As as a consequence, an adjacent stratocumulus cloud bank develops between 300 and 1200 m above sea level, developing into fog when the relief intercepts the droplets from the cloud. This quasi-constant supply of water supports unique islands of vegetation in an otherwise ocean of semi- or hyper-arid desert, leading to ultra-high levels of species endemism. Typically, the fog banks (known as camanchaca) engulf small mountains or steep coastal slopes that are south or southwest-facing; similar formations extend north into Peru where they are known as 'lomas'. These formations have two seasons, a dry season, and a humid season (mostly between July and November) with a characteristic daily cycle and when fog occurs, it provides much needed moisture. However, during El Niño events, occasional precipitation occurs during the austral winter, resulting in the development of vegetation, especially of ephemeral herbs and the replenishment of the soil seedbank. In Chile, fog oases formations are scattered from Cerro Camaraca (close to Arica) to Llanos de Challe National Park (just north of Huasco).
Endemic Taxa in Desert fog oases (Lomas)
- Acaena trifida var. glabrescens Regel & Körn.
- Acmispon subpinnatus (Lag.) D.D.Sokoloff
- Adesmia eremophila Phil.
- Adesmia filifolia Clos
- Adesmia gracillima I.M. Johnst.
- Adesmia littoralis Burkart
- Adesmia melanocaulos Phil.
- Adesmia parviflora Clos
- Adesmia pungens Clos
- Adesmia pusilla Phil.
- Adesmia tenella Hook. & Arn. var. misera (Phil.) Skottsb.
- Adesmia viscidissima I.M. Johnst.
- Alstroemeria graminea Phil.
- Alstroemeria lutea M.Muñoz
- Alstroemeria werdermannii Ehr. Bayer var. werdermannii
- Alstroemeria werdermannii subsp. flavicans (Muñoz-Schick) J.M.Watson & A.R.Flores
- Amblyopappus pusillus Hook. & Arn. var. pauciflorus
- Anisomeria littoralis (Poepp. & Endl.) Moq.
- Apium chilense Hook. & Arn.
- Argylia checoensis (Meyen) I.M. John
- Asteriscium chilense Cham. & Schltdl.
- Asteriscium closii (Kuntze) Mathias & Constance
- Asteriscium vidali Phil.
- Astragalus cachinalensis Phil.
- Astragalus dodtii Phil.
- Astragalus paposanus I.M. Johnst.
- Atriplex clivicola I.M. Johnst.
- Atriplex taltalensis I.M. Johnst.
- Baccharis taltalensis I.M.Johnst.
- Bahia ambrosioides Lag.
- Bakerolimon plumosum (Phil.) O.A.Lincz.
- Berberis actinacantha Mart. ex Schult. & Schult.f.
- Berberis littoralis Phil.
- Bipinnula taltalensis I.M. Johnst.
- Calceolaria collina Phil. ssp. subincisa (Benth.) C. Ehrh.
- Calceolaria glandulosa Poepp. ex Benth. ssp. glandulosa
- Calceolaria paposana Phil.
- Calceolaria rinconada C.Ehrh.
- Calliandra chilensis Benth.
- Chaetanthera glabrata (DC.) F.Meigen
- Chaetanthera linearis Poepp. ex Less.
- Chaetanthera taltalensis (Cabrera) A.M.R.Davies
- Chiropetalum canescens Phil.
- Chiropetalum cremnophilum I.M. Johnst.
- Chorizanthe glabrescens Benth.
- Chorizanthe kingii Phil.
- Chorizanthe macraei Benth.
- Chorizanthe mieresii Teillier & Macaya
- Chuquiraga ulicina ssp. ulicina (Hook. & Arn.) Hook. & Arn.
- Cistanthe cephalophora (I.M.Johnst.) Carolin ex Hershkovitz
- Cistanthe chrysantha (I.M.Johnst.) Peralta & D.I.Ford
- Cistanthe crassifolia (Phil.) Carolin ex Hershk
- Cistanthe cymosa (Phil.) Hershkovitz
- Cistanthe grandiflora (Lindl.) Schltdl.
- Cistanthe lamprosperma (I.M. Johnst.) Peralta & D.I. Ford
- Cistanthe longiscapa (Barnéoud) Carolin ex Hershkovitz
- Cistanthe subspeciosa Hershk.
- Colliguaja odorifera Molina
- Conanthera campanulata Lindl.
- Conanthera urceolata Ravenna
- Convolvulus chilensis Pers.
- Copiapoa ahremephiana N.P. Taylor & G.J. Charles
- Copiapoa angustiflora Helmut Walter, G.J.Charles & Mächler
- Copiapoa calderana F. Ritter subsp. calderiana
- Copiapoa calderana subsp. atacamensis (Middled.) D.R.Hunt
- Copiapoa cinerascens (Salm-Dyck) Britton & Rose
- Copiapoa cinerea (Phil.) Britton & Rose subsp. cinerea
- Copiapoa cinerea subsp. columna-alba (F.Ritter) D.R.Hunt
- Copiapoa cinerea subsp. haseltoniana (Backeb.) N.P.Taylor
- Copiapoa dealbata F. Ritter
- Copiapoa decorticans N.P. Taylor & G.J. Charles
- Copiapoa echinoides (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) Britton & Rose
- Copiapoa esmeraldana F.Ritter
- Copiapoa fiedleriana (K.Schum.) Backeb.
- Copiapoa grandiflora F. Ritter
- Copiapoa humilis (Phil.) Hutchison subsp. humilis
- Copiapoa humilis (Phil.) Hutchison subsp. varispinata (F.Ritter) Hunt
- Copiapoa humilis subsp. australis P.Hoxey
- Copiapoa humilis subsp. tenuissima (Hunt) Hunt
- Copiapoa humilis subsp. tocopillana (F.Ritter) Hunt
- Copiapoa hypogaea F.Ritter subsp. hypogaea
- Copiapoa hypogaea F.Ritter subsp. laui (Diers) G.J.Charles
- Copiapoa krainziana F. Ritter
- Copiapoa longistaminea F. Ritter
- Copiapoa marginata (Salm-Dyck) Britton & Rose var. marginata
- Copiapoa megarhiza Britton & Rose subsp. echinata (F.Ritter) G.J.Charles
- Copiapoa megarhiza Britton & Rose subsp. megarhiza
- Copiapoa montana F.Ritter var. montana
- Copiapoa serpentisulcata F.Ritter
- Copiapoa solaris (F. Ritter) F. Ritter
- Copiapoa taltalensis (Werderm.) Looser subsp. desertorum (F.Ritter) Charles
- Copiapoa taltalensis (Werderm.) Looser subsp. taltalensis
- Cristaria aspera Gay var. aspera
- Cristaria aspera Gay var. formosula (I.M. Johnst.) M. Muñoz
- Cristaria aspera Gay var. sadae (Phil.) M. Muñoz
- Cristaria calderana M. Muñoz
- Cristaria fuentesiana I.M. Johnst.
- Cristaria glaucophylla Cav. var. glaucophylla
- Cristaria integerrima Phil. var. integerrima
- Cristaria integerrima Phil. var. lobulata (Phil.) M. Muñoz
- Cristaria leucantha I.M. Johnst.
- Cristaria molinae Gay
- Cristaria ovata M. Muñoz
- Cristaria tenuissima M. Muñoz
- Cristaria viridiluteola Gay var. pinnata (Phil.) M. Muñoz
- Cristaria viridiluteola Gay var. viridiluteola
- Croton chilensis Müll. Arg.
- Cruckshanksia pumila Clos
- Cryptantha argentea I.M. Johnst.
- Cryptantha calycina (Phil.) Reiche
- Cryptantha filaginea (Phil.) Reiche
- Cryptantha filiformis (Phil.) Reiche
- Cryptantha glomerata Lehm. ex Fisch. & C.A. Mey. ssp. glomerata
- Cryptantha romanii I.M. Johnst.
- Cryptantha subamplexicaulis (Phil.) Reiche
- Cryptantha taltalensis I.M. Johnst.
- Cuscuta purpurata Phil.
- Dalea azurea (Phil.) Reiche
- Deuterocohnia chrysantha (Phil.) Mez
- Dicliptera paposana Phil.
- Dinemandra ericoides A. Juss.
- Dioscorea biloba (Phil.) Caddick & Wilkin ssp. biloba
- Dioscorea fastigiata Gay
- Diplolepis boerhaviifolia (Hook. & Arn.) Liede & Rapini
- Diplolepis geminiflora (Decne.) Liede & Rapini
- Diplolepis viridis (Phil.) Hechem & C. Ezcurra
- Domeykoa oppositifolia Phil.
- Domeykoa perennis I.M. Johnst.
- Encelia canescens Lam. ssp. oblongifolia (DC.) S.F.Blake
- Erechtites leptanthus (Phil.) Cabrera
- Eremocharis fruticosa Phil.
- Eriosyce calderana (F.Ritter) Ferryman
- Eriosyce crispa (F.Ritter) Katt. subsp. crispa
- Eriosyce crispa (F.Ritter) Katt. subsp. totoralensis (F.Ritter) Katt.
- Eriosyce eriosyzoides (F.Ritter) Ferryman subsp. atroviridis (F.Ritter) Ferryman
- Eriosyce esmeraldana (F. Ritter) Katt.
- Eriosyce heinrichiana (Backeb.) Katt.
- Eriosyce iquiquensis (F.Ritter) Ferryman
- Eriosyce laui Lüthy
- Eriosyce occulta Katt.
- Eriosyce odieri (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) Katt. subsp. krausii (F.Ritter) Ferryman
- Eriosyce odieri (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) Katt. subsp. odieri
- Eriosyce paucicostata (F.Ritter) Ferryman subsp. echinus (F.Ritter) Ferryman
- Eriosyce paucicostata (F.Ritter) Ferryman subsp. floccosa (F.Ritter) Ferryman.
- Eriosyce paucicostata (F.Ritter) Ferryman subsp. paucicostata
- Eriosyce recondita (F. Ritter) Katt.
- Eriosyce rodentiophila F. Ritter
- Eriosyce simulans (F. Ritter) Katt.
- Eriosyce sociabilis (F.Ritter) Katt.
- Eriosyce subgibbosa (Haw.) Katt. subsp. vallenarensis (F.Ritter) Katt.
- Eriosyce subgibbosa (Haw.) Katt. subsp. wagenknechtii (F.Ritter) Katt.
- Eriosyce taltalensis (Hutchison) Katt. subsp. pygmaea (F.Ritter) Ferryman
- Eriosyce taltalensis (Hutchison) Katt. subsp. taltalensis
- Eriosyce villosa (Monv.) Katt.
- Errazurizia multifoliolata (Clos) I.M. Johnst.
- Eulychnia acida Phil.
- Eulychnia breviflora Phil.
- Eulychnia chorosensis P.Klaassen
- Eulychnia iquiquensis (K.Schum.) Britton & Rose
- Eulychnia taltalensis (F. Ritter) Hoxey
- Euphorbia copiapina Phil.
- Euphorbia lactiflua Phil.
- Euphorbia thinophila Phil.
- Fuchsia lycioides Andrews
- Glandularia atacamensis (Reiche) J.M.Watson & A.Hoffm.
- Glandularia berteroi (Schauer) M. Muñoz
- Griselinia carlomunozii M.O. Dillon & M. Muñoz
- Gutierrezia espinosae Acevedo
- Gutierrezia taltalensis Phil.
- Haplopappus foliosus (Hook. & Arn.) Hook. & Arn subsp. foliosus
- Haplopappus rosulatus H.M.Hall
- Helenium atacamense Cabrera
- Helenium urmenetae (Phil.) Cabrera var. urmenetae (Phil.) Cabrera
- Heliotropium chenopodiaceum (A. DC.) Clos
- Heliotropium eremogenum I.M. Johnst.
- Heliotropium floridum (A.DC.) Clos
- Heliotropium inconspicuum Reiche
- Heliotropium jaffuelii I.M. Johnst.
- Heliotropium linariifolium Phil.
- Heliotropium longistylum Phil.
- Heliotropium megalanthum I.M. Johnst.
- Heliotropium philippianum I.M. Johnst.
- Heliotropium pycnophyllum Phil.
- Heliotropium sinuatum (Miers) I.M. Johnst.
- Heliotropium stenophyllum Hook. & Arn.-
- Heliotropium taltalense (Phil.) I.M. Johnst.
- Homalocarpus integerrimus (Turcz.) Mathias & Constance
- Huidobria chilensis Gay
- Huidobria fruticosa Phil
- Junellia selaginoides (Kunth ex Walp.) Moldenke var. selaginoides
- Krameria cistoidea Hook. & Arn.
- Lathyrus lomanus I.M. Johnst.
- Lepidium johnstonii C.L.Hitchc.
- Lepidium spathulatum Phil.
- Leucocoryne appendiculata Phil.
- Leucocoryne coronata Ravenna
- Leucostele deserticola (Werderm.) Schlumpb.
- Leucostele nigripilis (Phil.) P.C. Guerrero & Helmut Walter
- Linum cremnophilum I.M. Johnst.
- Llagunoa glandulosa (Hook. & Arn.) G. Don
- Loasa elongata Hook. & Arn.
- Lobelia polyphylla Hook. & Arn.
- Lycium deserti Phil.
- Malesherbia humilis var. parviflora (Phil.) Ricardi
- Malesherbia tocopillana Ricardi
- Mathewsia foliosa Hook. & Arn.
- Mathewsia incana Phil.
- Mathewsia linearifolia Turcz.
- Menonvillea chilensis (Turcz.) B.D. Jacks.
- Menonvillea litoralis (Barnéoud) Rollins
- Menonvillea orbiculata Phil.
- Mentzelia scabra Kunth ssp. atacamensis (Urb. & Gilg) Weigend
- Miqueliopuntia miquelii (Monv.) F.Ritter
- Mirabilis acuta (Reiche) Heimerl
- Montiopsis trifida (Hook. & Arn.) D.I. Ford
- Monttea chilensis Gay var. taltalensis Reiche
- Moscharia pinnatifida Ruiz & Pav.
- Nassella pungens E.Desv.
- Nicotiana solanifolia Walp.
- Nolana acuminata (Miers) Miers ex Dunal
- Nolana albescens (Phil.) I.M.Johnst.
- Nolana aplocaryoides (Gaudich.) I.M. Johnst.
- Nolana baccata (Lindl.) Dunal
- Nolana balsamiflua (Gaudich.) Mesa
- Nolana carnosa (Lindl.) Miers ex Dunal
- Nolana clivicola (I.M.Johnst.) I.M.Johnst.
- Nolana coelestis (Lindl.) Miers ex Dunal
- Nolana crassulifolia Poepp.
- Nolana diffusa I.M.Johnst.
- Nolana divaricata (Lindl.) I.M. Johnst.
- Nolana elegans (Phil.) Reiche
- Nolana filifolia (Hook. & Arn.) I.M.Johnst.
- Nolana glauca (I.M.Johnst.) I.M.Johnst.
- Nolana inconspicua (I.M.Johnst.) I.M.Johnst.
- Nolana intonsa I.M.Johnst.
- Nolana jaffuelii I.M.Johnst.
- Nolana lachimbensis M.O.Dillon & Luebert
- Nolana leptophylla (Miers) I.M.Johnst.
- Nolana linearifolia Phil.
- Nolana mollis (Phil.) I.M.Johnst.
- Nolana paradoxa Lindl.
- Nolana patachensis J. Hepp & M. O. Dillon
- Nolana patula (Phil.) Mesa ex M.O.Dillon
- Nolana peruviana (Gaudich.) I.M.Johnst.
- Nolana philippiana M.O.Dillon & Luebert
- Nolana pterocarpa Phil. ex Wettst.
- Nolana ramosissima I.M.Johnst.
- Nolana rostrata (Lindl.) Miers ex Dunal
- Nolana rupicola Gaudich.
- Nolana salsoloides (Lindl.) I.M.Johnst.
- Nolana sphaerophylla (Phil.) Mesa ex M.O.Dillon
- Nolana stenophylla I.M.Johnst.
- Nolana tocopillensis (I.M.Johnst.) I.M.Johnst.
- Nolana villosa (Phil.) I.M.Johnst.
- Oenothera coquimbensis Gay
- Ophryosporus anomalus R.M.King & H.Rob.
- Ophryosporus johnstonii B.L.Rob.
- Ophryosporus triangularis Meyen
- Oxalis arbuscula Barnéoud
- Oxalis atacamensis Reiche
- Oxalis bulbocastanum Phil.
- Oxalis caesia Phil.
- Oxalis ericoides R.Knuth
- Oxalis gigantea Barnéoud
- Oxalis johnstonii R.Knuth
- Oxalis leucophylla Phil.
- Oxalis matancillae Lourteig
- Oxalis morenoensis Lourteig
- Oxalis ornithopus Phil.
- Oxalis ovalleana Phil.
- Oxalis paposana Phil.
- Oxalis ricardii Lourteig
- Oxalis virgosa Molina
- Oxyphyllum ulicinum Phil.
- Palaua concinna (Phil.) I.M. Johnst.
- Palaua modesta (Phil.) Reiche
- Paposoa laeta (Phil.) Nic.García
- Paronychia johnstonii Chaudhri var. johnstonii
- Paronychia johnstonii Chaudhri var. scabrida Chaudhri
- Pectocarya dimorpha (I.M. Johnst.) I.M. Johnst.
- Peperomia doellii Phil.
- Philippiamra amaranthoides (Phil.) Kuntze
- Philippiamra calycina (Phil.) Hershk.
- Plantago hispidula Ruiz & Pav.
- Plantago litorea Phil.
- Plantago rancaguae Steud.
- Plectocephalus atacamensis (Reiche) Penneck. & Chaura
- Plectocephalus cachinalensis (Phil.) N.Garcia & Susanna
- Plectocephalus chilensis (Bertero ex Hook. & Arn.) G. Don ex Loudon var. chilensis
- Plectocephalus floccosus (Hook. & Arn.) N.Garcia & Susanna.
- Plectocephalus formosus (Ravenna) Penneck. & Gl. Rojas
- Plectocephalus gayanus (J. Rémy) Penneck. & Chaura
- Pleocarphus revolutus D.Don
- Pleurophora pungens D. Don
- Poa paposana Phil.
- Polyachyrus cinereus Ricardi & Weldt.
- Polyachyrus multifidus D.Don
- Polyachyrus poeppigii (Kunze ex Less.) Less.
- Portulaca philippii I.M.Johnst.
- Proustia cuneifolia subsp. tipia (Phil.) Luebert
- Puya boliviensis Baker
- Reyesia cactorum (I.M. Johnst.) D'Arcy
- Reyesia chilensis Gay
- Schizanthus candidus Lindl.
- Schizanthus fallax I.M.Johnst.
- Schizanthus integrifolius Phil.
- Schizanthus lacteus Phil.
- Schizanthus laetus Phil.
- Senecio almeidae Phil.
- Senecio antofagastanus Cabrera
- Senecio cachinalensis Phil. var. cachinalensis
- Senecio illinitus Phil.
- Senecio myriophyllus Phil.
- Senecio philippicus Regel & Koern.
- Senecio pseudalmeidae Cabrera
- Senecio troncosii Phil.
- Senna cumingii (Hook. & Arn.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby var. cumingii
- Senna paposana (Phil.) Zoellner & San Martin
- Sibara anethifolia (Phil.) Al-Shehbaz
- Sibara dilloniorum Al-Shehbaz
- Sibara macrostachya (Phil.) Al-Shehbaz
- Skytanthus acutus Meyen
- Solanum brachyantherum Phil.
- Solanum pinnatum Cav.
- Solanum remyanum Phil.
- Spergularia arbuscula (Gay) I.M.Johnst.
- Spergularia cremnophila I.M. Johnst
- Spergularia denticulata (Phil.) Phil.
- Spergularia stenocarpa (Phil.) I.M.Johnst.
- Stachys eremicola Epling
- Stachys grandidentata Lindl.
- Stachys pannosa Phil.
- Stellaria chilensis Pedersen
- Stevia philippiana Hieron.
- Synammia espinosae (Weath.) G. Kunkel
- Tetragonia angustifolia Barnéoud
- Tetragonia copiapina Phil.
- Tetragonia espinosae Muñoz
- Tetragonia macrocarpa Phil.
- Tetragonia maritima Barnéoud
- Tetragonia ovata Phil.
- Teucrium nudicaule Hook.
- Tigridia philippiana I.M. Johnst.
- Tillandsia geissei Phil.
- Tillandsia tragophoba M.O.Dillon
- Triptilion gibbosum J.Rémy
- Tropaeolum beuthii Klotzsch
- Tropaeolum tricolor Sweet
- Tweedia birostrata (Hook. & Arn.) Hook. & Arn.
- Valeriana atacamensis Borsini
- Valeriana fragilis Clos
- Valeriana senecioides Phil.
- Viola huesoensis Martic.
- Viola johnstonii W. Becker
- Viola polypoda Turcz.
- Viola pusilla Poepp.
- Viola taltalensis W. Becker
- Zephyra elegans D. Don
- Zephyranthes ananuca (Phil.) Nic.García
- Zephyranthes bagnoldii (Herb.) Nic.García
- Zephyranthes phycelloides (Herb.) Nic.García,
- Zephyranthes sarae J.M.Watson & A.R.Flores