British NVC community CG1 (Festuca ovina – Carlina vulgaris grassland)

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NVC community CG1 (Festuca ovina - Carlina vulgaris grassland) is one of the calcicolous grassland communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system. It is one of three short-sward communities associated with heavy grazing, within the lowland calcicolous grassland group, and is regarded as the south-west coastal counterpart of "typical" chalk grassland (community CG2).

It is a comparatively localised community. There are six subcommunities.

Community composition[]

The following constant species are found in this community:

  • Carline Thistle Carlina vulgaris
  • Cock's-foot Dactylis glomerata
  • Sheep's Fescue (Festuca ovina)
  • Mouse-ear Hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella)
  • Common Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
  • Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
  • Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor)
  • Wild Thyme (Thymus praecox)

The following rare species are also associated with the community:

  • Arabis stricta
  • Goldilocks Aster Aster linosyris
  • Bupleurum baldense
  • Dwarf Sedge Carex humilis
  • Dwarf Mouse-ear Cerastium pumilum
  • Yellow Whitlowgrass Draba aizoides
  • Euphorbia portlandica
  • Early Gentian Gentianella anglica
  • White Rock-rose Helianthemum apenninum
  • Hoary Rock-rose Helianthemum canum
  • the hybrid between White and Hoary Rock-roses
  • Hypochoeris maculata
  • Somerset Hair-grass Koeleria vallesiana
  • Spring Cinquefoil Potentilla tabernaemontani
  • Autumn Squill Scilla autumnalis
  • Spring Squill Scilla verna
  • Sedum forsterianum
  • Silver Ragwort Senecio cineraria
  • Spiked Speedwell Veronica spicata
  • Scorpiurium circinatum
  • Tortella nitida

Distribution[]

This community is found in scattered locations on limestone sites around the south and west coasts of Britain.

Subcommunities[]

There are six subcommunities:

  • the Carex humilis subcommunity
  • the Scilla autumnalis - Euphorbia portlandica subcommunity
  • the Trinia glauca subcommunity
  • the Helianthemum canum subcommunity
  • the Koeleria macrantha subcommunity
  • the Festuca rubra - Scilla verna subcommunity

References[]

  • Rodwell, J. S. (1992) British Plant Communities Volume 3 - Grasslands and montane communities ISBN 0-521-39166-0 (hardback), ISBN 0-521-62719-2 (paperback)
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