Sclerophyll

File:Fynbos-landscape-1.jpg

Fynbos in South Africa

Sclerophyll is a type of vegetation which has hard leaves and short internodes (the distance between leaves along the stem). The word comes from the Greek sclero (hard) and phyllon (leaf).

Sclerophyllous plants occur in many parts of the world. They are shaped by a Mediterranean climate, with mild, wet winters and long hot dry summers. Wildfires often occur. These conditions feature summer drought-tolerant plants with hard sclerophyllous evergreen leaves,

This kind of climate occurs in:

1. The Americas, in the chaparral biomes
   1. Californian woodlands
   2. Chilean Matorral
2. Australia, this type of biome occurs throughout western (Perth), eastern (Sydney) and southern (Adelaide) areas.
3. Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome that cover the Mediterranean Basin
4. Cape Province of South Africa.

Sclerophyll Media

• Arroyo pescadero 03.JPG

  Chaparral vegetation in Southern California

• Banksia integrifolia subsp. monticola leaves (8668633194).jpg

  The hard leaves of a Banksia integrifolia (notice the short internodes)

• Dehesa Los Valhondos Jamon BEHER Bernardo Hernandez Salamanca Pelayos.jpg

  Sclerophyllous woodland in Spain

• San Rossore, Riserva del Paduletto.jpg

  Sclerophyll woodland in Tuscany, Italy

• Brenanparkbush.jpg

  A sclerophyll bushland in Sydney (which falls in the humid subtropical zone)

• Spiny forest 1, Ifaty, Madagascar.jpg

  Sclerophyll shrubland in southwestern Madagascar

• Bush Eagle-Bay WA.jpg

  Bush around Eagle Bay, Western Australia

• Yellow box 2.jpg

  Yellow Box (Eucalyptus melliodora) in a sclerophyll woodland, Melbourne (Cfb climate)

• כסא אליהו בהר מירון.jpg

  Sclerophyll vegetation on Mount Meron in Israel

• High atlas mountains.jpg

  Hard-leaved vegetation in the High Atlas mountains, Morocco