Evergreen sclerophyllous or lauriphyllous shrub vegetation, with a more or less closed canopy structure, and with few annuals, some geophytes and often scattered trees, some of which may be in shrub form. Unlike arborescent matorral, maquis is typically dominated by species that do not have the potential to grow into tall trees. In high maquis these may be Arbutus spp., Erica arborea, Erica scoparia, Juniperus oxycedrus, Phillyrea spp. In low maquis, Cistus spp., Erica spp., Genista spp., Lavandula spp. may predominate.
Usually varied west-Mediterranean maquis rich in Lavandula stoechas, accompanied by Cistus spp., Erica spp., brooms (Genista spp., Cytisus spp. i.a.). The subspecies of Lavandula stoechas can be used to characterize regional groups of communities otherwise differing by the assembly of accompanying species.