British NVC community CG2

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NVC community CG2 (Festuca ovina - Avenula pratensis 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 "typical" chalk grassland.

It is a comparatively widely distributed community. There are four subcommunities.

[edit] Community composition

The following constant species are found in this community:

  • Meadow Oat-grass (Avenula pratensis)
  • Quaking-grass (Briza media)
  • Glaucous Sedge (Carex flacca)
  • Sheep's Fescue (Festuca ovina)
  • Mouse-ear Hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella)
  • Crested Hair-grass (Koeleria macrantha)
  • Rough Hawkbit (Leontodon hispidus)
  • Fairy Flax (Linum catharticum)
  • Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
  • Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
  • Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor)
  • Small Scabious (Scabiosa columbaria)
  • Wild Thyme (Thymus praecox)

The following rare species are also associated with the community:

  • Man Orchid (Aceras anthropophorum)
  • Ground-pine (Ajuga chamaepitys)
  • Purple Milk-vetch (Astragalus danicus)
  • Great Pignut (Bunium bulbocastanum)
  • Rare Spring Sedge (Carex ericetorum)
  • Dwarf Sedge (Carex humilis)
  • Soft-leaved Sedge (Carex montana)
  • Dwarf Mouse-ear (Cerastium pumilum)
  • Tuberous Thistle (Cirsium tuberosum)
  • an eyebright (Euphrasia pseudokerneri)
  • Slender Bedstraw (Galium pumilum)
  • Limestone Bedstraw (Galium sterneri)
  • Early Gentian (Gentianella anglica)
  • Chiltern Gentian (Gentianella germanica)
  • Musk Orchid (Herminium monorchis)
  • Spotted Cat's-ear (Hypochoeris maculata)
  • Wild Candytuft (Iberis amara)
  • Perennial Flax (Linum perenne subsp. anglicum)
  • Late Spider-orchid (Ophrys fuciflora)
  • Early Spider-orchid (Ophrys sphegodes)
  • Monkey Orchid (Orchis simia)
  • Burnt Orchid (Orchis ustulata)
  • Oxtongue Broomrape (Orobanche picridis)
  • Round-headed Rampion (Phyteuma tenerum)
  • Dwarf Milkwort (Polygala amara)
  • Chalk Milkwort (Polygala calcarea)
  • Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla vulgaris)
  • Meadow Clary (Salvia pratensis)
  • Field Fleawort (Senecio integrifolius ssp. integrifolius)
  • Moon Carrot (Seseli libanotis)
  • Nottingham Catchfly (Silene nutans)
  • Autumn Ladies-tresses (Spiranthes spiralis)
  • Cut-leaved Germander (Teucrium botrys)
  • Bastard-toadflax (Thesium humifusum)
  • Large Thyme (Thymus pulegioides)
  • Spiked Speedwell (Veronica spicata)

[edit] Distribution

This community is found in lowland limestone grassland throughout England and Wales.

[edit] Subcommunities

There are four subcommunities, one of which is subdivided into three variants:

  • the Cirsium acaule - Asperula cynanchica subcommunity, subdivided into:
    • a typical variant
    • a Filipendula vulgaris - Helinathemum nummularium variant
    • a Pseudoscleropodium purum - Prunella vulgaris variant
  • the Succisa pratensis - Leucanthemum vulgare subcommunity
  • the Holcus lanatus - Trifolium repens subcommunity
  • the Dicranum scoparium subcommunity