Regions with less than 10 cms of annual rainfall in north and north-western parts of the country and the leeside of the Sahyadris are dominated by these forests. They are open stunted forests which degenerate into desert type in the Thar Desert.
It consists of coarse grasses with widely scattered trees and bushes. Major characteristics of this vegetation are:
1. These forests are characterised as vast, poor and coarse grasslands with widely spaced trees and bushes.
2. Vast undulating poor grassland is found on the Central Plateau. The semi-arid Rajasthan in marked with grassy patches and salt marshes.
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3. Major species include acacia, euphorbias, cactus etc. Clumps of wild palm, spiny and thorny varieties are also found here.