Global Regional Plant Guides

Patagonia Steppe & Subantarctic Forest Plant Survival Guide

A comprehensive survival plant guide for Patagonia Steppe & Subantarctic Forest, covering useful woody materials, land foods, aquatic foods, traditional-use plants and poisonous look-alikes.

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Cover of Patagonia Steppe & Subantarctic Forest Plant Survival Guide

Continent: South America
USDA-equivalent zones: 3-8
Köppen climate: BSk / Cfc / ET
Profiles: 20
Regional biome: Cold steppe, Andean forest, bog and windswept coast

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Useful plants · 5 Land edibles · 5 Aquatic edibles · 3 Traditional-use · 3 Poisonous look-alikes · 4

Useful plants

Wood, fibre, shelter and craft

Southern beeches

Nothofagus spp.

Useful plants

Stylized form diagram for Southern beeches

Identify: Small alternate toothed leaves; tiny nuts in cupules; bark and leaf persistence vary by species.
Habitat: Patagonian, Andean and Australasian temperate forest.
Season: Wood year-round; leaves and nuts seasonal.
Field use: Dense wood for poles, pegs, handles and fuel; forest type helps read moisture and elevation.
Caution: Old trees may be protected and dead stems can be internally rotten. Nuts are too small to be a dependable food.
Look-alikes: Myrtle-family trees often have opposite leaves and aromatic oil dots.

polesfuelhandlespegs

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Cordilleran cypress

Austrocedrus chilensis

Useful plants

Stylized form diagram for Cordilleran cypress

Identify: Narrow tree with flattened scale-leaf sprays, reddish fibrous bark and small oval cones.
Habitat: Drier Andean forest and steppe margin.
Season: Year-round.
Field use: Decay-resistant wood for small stakes, kindling and light frames from deadfall.
Caution: Populations may be protected and affected by disease. Do not strip living bark.
Look-alikes: Arrayan has broad opposite leaves and smooth orange bark.

stakesfuelframes

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South American mountain bamboo

Chusquea spp.

Useful plants

Stylized form diagram for South American mountain bamboo

Identify: Solid or nearly solid segmented culms; dense branching at nodes; narrow grass leaves.
Habitat: Andean and Atlantic montane forest, often forming thickets.
Season: Culms year-round; shoots seasonal.
Field use: Arrow shafts, basketry, shelter lattice, containers and friction-fire spindles; shoots of selected species require expert preparation.
Caution: Dense thickets hide cliffs and animals. Some bamboos flower and die en masse.
Look-alikes: Reeds are hollow and rooted in wetlands rather than woody mountain thickets.

arrow shaftbasketryconstructionbow drill spindle

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Willows

Salix spp.

Useful plants

Identify: Alternate narrow to oval leaves; flexible twigs; catkins; many species root along wet ground.
Habitat: Riverbanks, lake margins, floodplains, tundra valleys and moist forest.
Season: Twigs year-round; leaves and catkins in the growing season.
Field use: Flexible rods for baskets, fish traps, wattle, arrow shafts and repair splints. Dry punky willow and softer species can serve bow-drill hearth boards; denser pieces make spindles. Bark has documented salicylate-related traditional use.
Caution: Species identification is difficult. Do not self-dose bark with aspirin allergy, bleeding risk, kidney disease, pregnancy, or in children with viral illness.
Look-alikes: Alders have cone-like female catkins; some dogwoods have opposite leaves.

arrow shaftbow drill boardbasketrycordagemedicine

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Dogwoods

Cornus spp.

Useful plants

Identify: Usually opposite branching; arcuate leaf veins curve toward the tip; clustered flowers and drupes.
Habitat: Forest edge, riparian thicket and mountain slope.
Season: Stems year-round; fruit varies by species.
Field use: Dense straight shoots make excellent arrow shafts, skewers and pegs.
Caution: Fruit edibility varies greatly; some species cause stomach upset. Use as material unless species is confirmed.
Look-alikes: Viburnums may have opposite leaves but different veins and buds.

arrow shaftpegsskewers

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Land edibles

Terrestrial food species

Calafate / Patagonian barberry

Berberis microphylla

Land-based edible plants

Stylized form diagram for Calafate / Patagonian barberry

Identify: Small clustered leathery leaves, yellow flowers, blue-black waxy berries and one to three sharp spines at nodes.
Habitat: Patagonian steppe, open forest and rocky slopes.
Season: Fruit late summer-fall.
Field use: Ripe berries are documented food; thorny branches can form barrier brush.
Caution: Spines injure eyes and hands. Only ripe fruit is recommended; roots and bark contain alkaloids.
Look-alikes: Other barberries vary in leaf size and fruit cluster.

food fruitbrush

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Maqui

Aristotelia chilensis

Land-based edible plants

Identify: Opposite or nearly opposite toothed leaves, reddish petioles and clusters of small purple-black berries.
Habitat: Patagonian and Chilean forest edge, disturbed ground and streams.
Season: Fruit late summer-fall.
Field use: Ripe berries are documented food and can be dried or cooked.
Caution: Avoid roadside or sprayed plants; concentrated extracts are not field medicine.
Look-alikes: Elder has compound leaves and flat fruit clusters.

food fruit

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Chaura

Gaultheria mucronata

Land-based edible plants

Identify: Low shrub with tiny pointed evergreen leaves and white, pink or purple berries; small urn flowers.
Habitat: Patagonian heath, bog edge and windswept forest opening.
Season: Fruit late summer-winter.
Field use: Ripe fruits are documented food and often persist after frost.
Caution: Color varies. Confirm woody evergreen shrub and Gaultheria flowers.
Look-alikes: Other Gaultheria species are similar and taxonomy is local.

food fruit

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Magellan currant

Ribes magellanicum

Land-based edible plants

Stylized form diagram for Magellan currant

Identify: Spineless shrub with three- to five-lobed leaves, hanging flowers and dark berries.
Habitat: Moist Patagonian forest openings and mountain streambanks.
Season: Fruit late summer.
Field use: Ripe berries are documented food.
Caution: Confirm Ribes leaf and hanging fruit cluster; avoid unknown black-berried herbs.
Look-alikes: Other currants and gooseberries vary in spines and hairiness.

food fruit

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Wild roses

Rosa spp.

Land-based edible plants

Identify: Prickly stems; compound toothed leaves; five-petaled flowers; red to orange hips.
Habitat: Open woods, thickets, prairie, dunes and mountain slopes.
Season: Hips late summer through winter.
Field use: Fleshy hip walls are documented food after the irritating hairs and seeds are removed; good for simmering or drying.
Caution: Internal hairs irritate skin and mouth. Avoid sprayed or moldy fruit.
Look-alikes: Hawthorn has simple lobed leaves and woody thorns.

food fruitcordage

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Aquatic edibles

Water-margin food species

Totora rush

Schoenoplectus californicus subsp. tatora

Water and wetland edible plants

Identify: Tall round green stems with small brown flower clusters near the tip; forms dense lake and marsh beds.
Habitat: Andean and South American lakes, marshes and slow water.
Season: Young shoots and rhizomes seasonal; stems year-round.
Field use: Rhizomes and tender shoots have documented food use; stems make mats, boats, baskets and thatch.
Caution: Water quality and harvest rights matter. Sedges are difficult to identify when not flowering.
Look-alikes: Cattails have broad flat leaves and brown cylinders.

food shootfood starchbasketrythatchfloat

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Watercress

Nasturtium officinale

Water and wetland edible plants

Identify: Creeping hollow stems; pinnate leaves with a larger rounded terminal leaflet; small white four-petaled flowers.
Habitat: Cold flowing springs and streams, often where nutrient-rich.
Season: Cool seasons.
Field use: Tender tops are documented food and are usually cooked in survival settings.
Caution: Raw watercress can carry liver flukes and sewage pathogens. Avoid downstream of livestock, roads or settlements.
Look-alikes: Water hemlock has divided leaves and umbrella flowers; never rely on habitat alone.

food green

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Broad pondweeds

Potamogeton spp.

Water and wetland edible plants

Stylized form diagram for Broad pondweeds

Identify: Submerged or floating leaves with parallel veins; small flower spikes rise above water; flexible stems.
Habitat: Lakes, ponds and slow rivers across temperate and cold regions.
Season: Growing season.
Field use: Tubers, young shoots or seeds of some species have documented food use; beds shelter fish and invertebrates.
Caution: Species identification and water quality are essential. Avoid stagnant, cyanobacteria-rich or polluted water.
Look-alikes: Water smartweed has jointed stems and pink flower spikes.

food aquatic

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Traditional-use

Documented traditional medicine

Muña

Minthostachys mollis

Medicinal and traditional-use plants

Identify: Mint-family shrub with opposite aromatic leaves and small white-lilac flowers.
Habitat: Andean dry slopes, field edges and highland scrub.
Season: Leaves growing season.
Field use: Documented Andean seasoning and traditional digestive use; dry stems aid tinder.
Caution: Essential oils and concentrated teas are not safe field dosing, especially in pregnancy.
Look-alikes: Other mint-family shrubs require flower and scent confirmation.

seasoningmedicinetinder

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Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Medicinal and traditional-use plants

Identify: Aromatic finely divided leaves; flat clusters of small white to pink flower heads.
Habitat: Dry openings, trails, grassland, shore gravel and disturbed soil.
Season: Summer through fall.
Field use: Documented traditional external uses include washes and aromatic preparations; dry flower heads make light tinder.
Caution: Possible allergy, pregnancy and anticoagulant concerns. Not a substitute for wound cleaning or medical care.
Look-alikes: Poison hemlock is much taller with hollow purple-spotted stems and true umbels.

medicinetinder

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Broadleaf and ribwort plantains

Plantago major / P. lanceolata

Medicinal and traditional-use plants

Stylized form diagram for Broadleaf and ribwort plantains

Identify: Basal rosette with strong parallel ribs; leafless spikes of tiny flowers and seeds.
Habitat: Trails, camps, meadows and disturbed soil.
Season: Spring through fall.
Field use: Young leaves and seeds are documented food; clean leaves have traditional external use on minor irritation.
Caution: Do not put dirty leaves on open wounds. Seeds swell with water and can obstruct if taken dry in quantity.
Look-alikes: Docks have netted veins; plantain ribs run from the base.

food greenmedicine

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Poisonous look-alikes

Do not eat — verify before harvest

Palqui

Cestrum parqui

Poisonous plants

Identify: Shrub with narrow alternate leaves, greenish-yellow tubular flowers and dark berries.
Habitat: Patagonian disturbed ground, roadsides and old fields.
Season: Growing season.
Field use: No use.
Caution: All parts are poisonous; smoke from burning foliage may also be irritating.
Look-alikes: Other nightshades have different flower and fruit arrangement.

poison

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Monkshoods

Aconitum spp.

Poisonous plants

Identify: Deeply divided palmate leaves; blue, purple, yellow or white hood-shaped flowers.
Habitat: Moist mountain meadows, streambanks and cool forest.
Season: Summer.
Field use: No food or field medicinal use.
Caution: All parts contain potent aconitine-type alkaloids; ingestion can cause fatal heart and nerve effects.
Look-alikes: Larkspurs have a rear spur and are also toxic.

poison

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Water hemlocks

Cicuta spp.

Poisonous plants

Stylized form diagram for Water hemlocks

Identify: Wetland perennial with divided leaves, white umbrella flower clusters and thick chambered rootstocks.
Habitat: Marshes, wet meadows, stream edges and ditches across the northern hemisphere.
Season: Spring through fall.
Field use: No survival use. Make wetland root gathering a prohibited activity unless a qualified botanist is present.
Caution: Extremely poisonous; small amounts, especially roots, can cause violent seizures and death.
Look-alikes: Angelica, cow parsnip and other Apiaceae can look similar. Never taste to decide.

poison

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Foxglove

Digitalis purpurea

Poisonous plants

Identify: Tall spike of purple, pink or white tubular flowers with spotted throats; soft wrinkled basal leaves.
Habitat: Roadsides, clearings, old farms and disturbed temperate ground.
Season: Late spring through summer.
Field use: No field medicinal use.
Caution: All parts contain potent cardiac glycosides and can cause life-threatening rhythm disturbances.
Look-alikes: First-year rosettes can resemble comfrey or mullein.

poison

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