British NVC community CG2
Encyclopedia
NVC community CG2 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.
The following rare species are also associated with the community:
and Wales
.
Calcicolous grasslands in the British National Vegetation Classification system
This article gives an overview of the calcicolous grassland communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system.-Introduction:The calcicolous grassland communities of the NVC were described in Volume 3 of British Plant Communities, first published in 1992, along with the...
communities in the British National Vegetation Classification
British National Vegetation Classification
The British National Vegetation Classification or NVC is a system of classifying natural habitat types in Great Britain according to the vegetation they contain....
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.
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 FescueSheep's FescueSheep's Fescue or Sheep Fescue is a species of grass.-General Description:It is a perennial plant sometimes found in acidic ground, for example in the Portlethen Moss, Scotland and mountain pasture, throughout Europe and eastwards across much of Asia; it has also been introduced to North...
(Festuca ovina) - Mouse-ear HawkweedMouse-ear HawkweedMouse-ear Hawkweed is a yellow-flowered species of Asteraceae, native to Europe and northern Asia. It produces single, citrus-colored inflorescences. It is an allelopathic plant...
(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 BurnetSalad BurnetSanguisorba minor is a plant in the family Rosaceae that is native to western, central and southern Europe; northwest Africa and southwest Western Asia; and which has naturalized in most of North America...
(Sanguisorba minor) - Small Scabious (Scabiosa columbaria)
- Wild ThymeWild thymeThymus serpyllum, known by the common names of Breckland Thyme, Wild Thyme or Creeping Thyme is a species of thyme native to most of Europe and North Africa. It is a low, usually prostrate subshrub growing to 2 cm tall with creeping stems up to 10 cm long, with oval evergreen leaves...
(Thymus praecox)
The following rare species are also associated with the community:
- Man OrchidMan orchidOrchis anthropophora, the Man Orchid , is a European species of orchid whose flowers resemble a human figure. The head is formed by the petals and sepals, and the suspended torso and limbs by the lobes of the labellum...
(Aceras anthropophorum) - Ground-pineGround-pineGround-pine is the common name given to at least three different species of plant. Most frequently it is applied to one of the clubmosses;* Lycopodium obscurum but sometimes also to* Lycopodium complanatum....
(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 OrchidMusk OrchidThe musk orchid is a commonly occurring species of European orchid.-Status in Britain:Musk orchids have a localised distribution in Britain. Sites where it is found include Ham Hill in Wiltshire....
(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-orchidOphrys sphegodesOphrys sphegodes, commonly known as the Early Spider Orchid, is a species of orchid found on alkaline meadows and waste land. It has a distribution that includes western and northern Europe extending to parts of southern England but may also be found as far east as Corfu and possibly also in...
(Ophrys sphegodes) - Monkey Orchid (Orchis simia)
- Burnt OrchidBurnt orchidThe Burnt Orchid is a European terrestrial orchid, most common in the mountains. It flowers between April and August depending on the altitude....
(Orchis ustulata) - Oxtongue Broomrape (Orobanche picridis)
- Round-headed Rampion (Phyteuma tenerum)
- Dwarf MilkwortDwarf MilkwortPolygala amarella , commonly known as Dwarf Milkwort, is a plant of the family Polygalaceae. A European native it grows on chalky grass land and limestone mountain pastures....
(Polygala amara) - Chalk Milkwort (Polygala calcarea)
- Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla vulgaris)
- Meadow Clary (Salvia pratensis)
- Field Fleawort (Senecio integrifolius ssp. integrifolius)
- Moon Carrot (Seseli libanotis)
- Nottingham CatchflyNottingham CatchflySilene nutans is a flowering plant in the genus Silene, most commonly known as Nottingham Catchfly.-Description:Silene nutans is a diploid, mainly outcrossing, herbaceous, perennial plant....
(Silene nutans) - Autumn Ladies'-tressesAutumn Ladies'-tressesSpiranthes spiralis, commonly known as Autumn Lady's-tresses, is the latest-blooming native species of orchid, blooming in August and September. It is characterised by a spiral inflorescence produced after the leaves have died down. The inflorescence can be very small especially in short grazed...
(Spiranthes spiralis) - Cut-leaved Germander (Teucrium botrys)
- Bastard-toadflax (Thesium humifusum)
- Large Thyme (Thymus pulegioides)
- Spiked SpeedwellSpiked SpeedwellVeronica spicata is a species of the genus Veronica.It is the county flower of Montgomeryshire in the United Kingdom. Cultivated varieties include blue , red and white ....
(Veronica spicata)
Distribution
This community is found in lowland limestone grassland throughout EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
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