Halophyte vegetation of inland situations in the Mediterranean region where the soils of flats or gentle hollows are permeated by waters laden with soluble salts from underlying substrates, and are then subject to extreme summer drought, with a surface efflorescence of crystalline deposits. The vegetation can be rich in endemics, but the particular species composition depends on the regional climate and local soil conditions, and there is often a distinctive seasonal pattern of growth and zonation around the hollows. In some regions, the vegetation has provided valuable grazing for sheep and goats in summer drought.