List of plant communities in the British National Vegetation Classification
The following is the list of the 286 plant communities which comprise the British National Vegetation Classification (NVC). These are grouped by major habitat category, as used in the five volumes of British Plant Communities, the standard work describing the NVC.
Woodland and scrub communities[]
The following 25 communities are described in Volume 1 of British Plant Communities. For an article summarising these communities see Woodland and scrub communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system.
- W1 Salix cinerea - Galium palustre woodland
- W2 Salix cinerea - Betula pubescens - Phragmites australis woodland
- W3 Salix pentandra - Carex rostrata woodland
- W7 Alnus glutinosa - Fraxinus excelsior - Lysimachia nemorum woodland
- W8 Fraxinus excelsior - Acer campestre - Mercurialis perennis woodland
- W9 Fraxinus excelsior - Sorbus aucuparia - Mercurialis perennis woodland
- W10 Quercus robur - Pteridium aquilinum - Rubus fruticosus woodland
- W11 Quercus petraea - Betula pubescens - Oxalis acetosella woodland
- W13 Taxus baccata woodland
- W17 Quercus petraea - Betula pubescens - Dicranum majus woodland
Mires[]
The following 38 communities are described in Volume 2 of British Plant Communities. For an article summarising these communities see Mires in the British National Vegetation Classification system.
- M1 Sphagnum auriculatum bog pool community
- M2 Sphagnum cuspidatum/recurvum bog pool community
- M3 Eriophorum angustifolium bog pool community
- M4 Carex rostrata - Sphagnum recurvum mire
- M16 Erica tetralix - Sphagnum compactum wet heath Ericetum tetralicis Schwickerath 1933
- M20 Eriophorum vaginatum raised and blanket mire
- M22 Juncus subnodulosus - Cirsium palustre fen-meadow
- M23 Juncus effusus/acutiflorus - Galium palustre rush-pasture
- M24 Molinia caerulea - Cirsium dissectum fen-meadow Cirsium-Molinietum caeruleae Sissingh & De Vries 1942 emend.
- M25 Molinia caerulea - Potentilla erecta mire
- M27 Filipendula ulmaria - Angelica sylvestris mire
Heaths[]
The following 22 communities are described in Volume 2 of British Plant Communities. For an article summarising these communities see Heaths in the British National Vegetation Classification system.
- H1 Calluna vulgaris - Festuca ovina heath
- H2 Calluna vulgaris - Ulex minor heath
- H3 Ulex minor - Agrostis curtisii heath
- H4 Ulex gallii - Agrostis curtisii heath
- H5 Erica vagans - Schoenus nigricans heath
- H6 Erica vagans - Ulex europaeus heath
- H7 Calluna vulgaris - Scilla verna heath
Mesotrophic grasslands[]
The following 13 communities are described in Volume 3 of British Plant Communities. For an article summarising these communities see Mesotrophic grasslands in the British National Vegetation Classification system.
- MG1 Arrhenatherum elatius grassland Arrhenatheretum elatioris Br.-Bl. 1919
- MG2 Arrhenatherum elatius - Filipendula ulmaria tall-herb grassland Filipendulo-Arrhenatheretum elatioris Shimwell 1968a
- MG3 Anthoxanthum odoratum - Geranium sylvaticum grassland
- MG4 Alopecurus pratensis - Sanguisorba officinalis grassland
- MG5 Cynosurus cristatus - Centaurea nigra grassland Centaureo-Cynosuretum cristati Br.-Bl. & Tx 1952
- MG6 Lolium perenne - Cynosurus cristatus grassland Lolio-Cynosuretum cristati (Br.-Bl. & De Leeuw 1936) R. Tx 1937
- MG8 Cynosurus cristatus - Caltha palustris grassland
- MG9 Holcus lanatus - Deschampsia cespitosa grassland
- MG10 Holcus lanatus - Juncus effusus rush-pasture Holco-Juncetum effusi Page 1980
- MG11 Festuca rubra - Agrostis stolonifera - Potentilla anserina grassland
- MG12 Festuca arundinacea grassland Potentillo-Festucetum arundinaceae Nordhagen 1940
- MG13 Agrostis stolonifera - Alopecurus geniculatus grassland
Calcicolous grasslands[]
The following 14 communities are described in Volume 3 of British Plant Communities. For an article summarising these communities see Calcicolous grasslands in the British National Vegetation Classification system.
- CG1 Festuca ovina - Carlina vulgaris grassland
- CG2 Festuca ovina - Avenula pratensis grassland
- CG3 Bromus erectus grassland
- CG4 Brachypodium pinnatum grassland
- CG5 Bromus erectus - Brachypodium pinnatum grassland
- CG6 Avenula pubescens grassland
- CG7 Festuca ovina - Hieracium pilosella - Thymus praecox/pulegioides grassland
- CG10 Festuca ovina - Agrostis capillaris - Thymus praecox grassland
Calcifugous grasslands and montane communities[]
The following 21 communities are described in Volume 3 of British Plant Communities. For an article summarising these communities see Calcifugous grasslands and montane communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system.
- U6 Juncus squarrosus - Festuca ovina grassland
- U19 Thelypteris limbosperma - Blechnum spicant community
Aquatic communities[]
The following 24 communities are described in Volume 4 of British Plant Communities. For an article summarising these communities see Aquatic communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system.
- A1Lemna gibba community Lemnetum gibbae Miyawaki & J. Tx. 1960
- A2 Lemna minor community Lemnetum minoris Soó 1947
- A3 Spirodela polyrhiza - Hydrocharis morsus-ranae community
- A4 Hydrocharis morsus-ranae - Stratiotes aloides community
- A5 Ceratophyllum demersum community Certaophylletum demersi Hild 1956
- A6 Ceratophyllum submersum community Certaophylletum submersi Den Hartog & Segal 1964
- A7 Nymphaea alba community Nymphaeetum albae Oberdorfer & Mitarb. 1967
- A8 Nuphar lutea community
- A9 Potamogeton natans community
- A10 Polygonum amphibium community
- A11 Potamogeton pectinatus - Myriophyllum spicatum community
- A12 Potamogeton pectinatus community
- A13 Potamogeton perfoliatus - Myriophyllum alterniflorum community
- A14 Myriophyllum alterniflorum community Myriophylletum alterniflori
- A15 Elodea canadensis community
- A16 Callitriche stagnalis community
- A17 Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans community
- A18 Ranunculus fluitans community Ranunculetum fluitantis Allorge 1922
- A19 Ranunculus aquatilis community Ranunculetum aquatilis Géhu 1961
- A20 Ranunculus peltatus community Ranunculetum peltati Sauer 1947
- A21 Ranunculus baudotii community Ranunculetum baudotii Br.-Bl. 1952
- A22 Littorella uniflora - Lobelia dortmanna community
- A23 Isoetes lacustris/setacea community
- A24 Juncus bulbosus community
Swamps and tall-herb fens[]
The following 28 communities are described in Volume 4 of British Plant Communities. For an article summarising these communities see Swamps and tall-herb fens in the British National Vegetation Classification system.
- S1 Carex elata sedge-swamp Caricetum elatae Koch 1926
Salt-marsh communities[]
The following 28 communities are described in Volume 5 of British Plant Communities. For an article summarising these communities see Salt-marsh communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system.
- SM1 Zostera communities Zosterion Christiansen 1934
- SM10 Transitional low-marsh vegetation with Puccinellia maritima, annual Salicornia species and Suaeda maritima
- SM24 Elymus pycnanthus salt-marsh community Atriplici-Elymetum pycnanthi Beeftink & Westhoff 1962
Shingle, strandline and sand-dune communities[]
The following 19 communities are described in Volume 5 of British Plant Communities. For an article summarising these communities see Shingle, strandline and sand-dune communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system.
- SD1 Rumex crispus - Glaucium flavum shingle community
- SD2 Honkenya peploides - Cakile maritima strandline community
- SD3 Matricaria maritima - Galium aparine strandline community
- SD11 Carex arenaria - Cornicularia aculeata dune community
- SD12 Carex arenaria - Festuca ovina - Agrostis capillaris dune grassland
- SD17 Potentilla anserina - Carex nigra dune-slack community
- SD18 Hippophae rhamnoides dune scrub
- SD19 Phleum arenarium - Arenaria serpyllifolia dune annual community Tortulo-Phleetum arenariae (Massart 1908) Br.-Bl. & de Leeuw 1936
Maritime cliff communities[]
The following 12 communities are described in Volume 5 of British Plant Communities. For an article summarising these communities see Maritime cliff communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system.
- MC1 Crithmum maritimum - Spergularia rupicola maritime rock-crevice community Crithmo-Spergularietum rupicolae Géhu 1964
- MC2 Armeria maritima - Ligusticum scoticum maritime rock-crevice community
- MC3 Rhodiola rosea - Armeria maritima maritime cliff-ledge community
- MC4 Brassica oleracea maritime cliff-ledge community
- MC5 Armeria maritima - Cerastium diffusum ssp. diffusum maritime therophyte community
- MC6 Atriplex prostrata - Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima sea-bird cliff community Atriplici-Betetum maritimae J.-M. & J. Géhu 1969
- MC7 Stellaria media - Rumex acetosa sea-bird cliff community
- MC10 Festuca rubra - Plantago spp. maritime grassland
- MC12 Festuca rubra - Hyacinthoides non-scripta maritime bluebell community
Vegetation of open habitats[]
The following 42 communities are described in Volume 5 of British Plant Communities. For an article summarising these communities see Vegetation of open habitats in the British National Vegetation Classification system.
- OV2 Briza minor - Silene gallica community
- OV4 Chrysanthemum segetum - Spergula arvensis community Spergulo-Chrysanthemetum segetum (Br.-Bl. & De Leeuw 1936) R. Tx. 1937
- OV5 Digitaria ischaemum - Erodium cicutarium community
- OV20 Poa annua - Sagina procumbens community Sagino - Bryetum argentii Diemont, Sissingh & Westhoff 1940
- OV39 Asplenium trichomanes - Asplenium ruta-muraria community Asplenietum trichomano-rutae-murariae R. Tx. 1937
- OV41 Parietaria diffusa community Parietarietum judaicae (Arènes 1928) Oberdorfer 1977
- OV42 Cymbalaria muralis community Cymbalarietum muralis Görs 1966
- British National Vegetation Classification communities
- Lists of biota of the United Kingdom
- Flora of Great Britain
- Flora of the British Isles
- Lists of the vascular plants of the British Isles
- British National Vegetation Classification