__NOTOC__ NVC community CG1 (''Festuca ovina - Carlina vulgaris'' grassland) is one of the calcicolous grassland

communities A community is a Level of analysis, social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place (geography), place, Norm (social), norms, religion, values, Convention (norm), customs, or Identity (social science), identity. Communiti ...

in the

British National Vegetation Classification __NOTOC__ The British National Vegetation Classification or NVC is a system of classifying natural habitat types in Great Britain according to the vegetation they contain. A large scientific meeting of ecologists, botanists, and other related pr ...

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'', the carline thistle, is a plant species of the genus '' Carlina''. It is a biennial that grows on limestone, chalky or other alkaline grasslands or dunes. The flowers are clusters of very small brown florets surrounded by br ...

''Carlina vulgaris'' *

Cock's-foot ''Dactylis'' is a genus of Eurasian and North African plants in the bluegrass subfamily within the grass family. ''Dactylis'' is native to North Africa, they are found throughout the world, and are an invasive species. They are known in English ...

''Dactylis glomerata'' *

Sheep's Fescue ''Festuca ovina'', sheep's fescue or sheep fescue, is a species of grass. It is sometimes confused with hard fescue (''Festuca trachyphylla''). General description It is a perennial plant sometimes found in acidic ground, and in mountain pastur ...

(''Festuca ovina'') *

Mouse-ear Hawkweed ''Pilosella officinarum'' ( synonym ''Hieracium pilosella''), known as mouse-ear hawkweed, is a yellow-flowered species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae, native to Europe and northern Asia. It produces single, lemon-coloured infl ...

(''Hieracium pilosella'') *

Common Bird's-foot Trefoil ''Lotus corniculatus'' is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae, native to grasslands in temperate Eurasia and North Africa. Common names include common bird's-foot trefoil, eggs and bacon, birdsfoot deervetch, and just bird's-foot trefo ...

(''Lotus corniculatus'') *

Ribwort Plantain ''Plantago lanceolata'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. It is known by the common names ribwort plantain, narrowleaf plantain, English plantain, ribleaf, lamb's tongue, and buckhorn. It is a common weed on c ...

(''Plantago lanceolata'') *

Salad Burnet ''Sanguisorba minor'', the salad burnet, garden burnet, small burnet, burnet (also used for ''Sanguisorba'' generally), pimpernelle, Toper's plant, and burnet-bloodwort, is an edible perennial herbaceous plant in the family Rosaceae. It has fe ...

(''Sanguisorba minor'') * Wild Thyme (''Thymus praecox'') The following rare species are also associated with the community: * Bristol Rock-cress ''Arabis stricta'' *

Goldilocks Aster ''Galatella linosyris'' (also called goldilocks aster, and often known by the synonyms ''Aster linosyris'' and ''Crinitaria linosyris'') is a species of perennial plant from family Asteraceae found in Eastern, Central and Southern Europe. It can ...

''Aster linosyris'' * Small Hare's-ear ''Bupleurum baldense'' * Dwarf Sedge ''Carex humilis'' *

Dwarf Mouse-ear ''Cerastium pumilum'', the dwarf mouse-ear or European chickweed, is an annual or biannual herbaceous plant, between 2 and 20 cm. high, native to Central and western Europe. The petals of the white flowers are shorter or equally long as the ...

''Cerastium pumilum'' * Yellow Whitlowgrass ''Draba aizoides'' * Portland Spurge ''Euphorbia portlandica'' *

Early Gentian ''Gentianella anglica'', the early gentian, is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Gentianella'', native to Great Britain. ''Gentianella anglica'' is endemic to Great Britain and its centre of distribution is in Dorset, Wiltshire, and the ...

''Gentianella anglica'' * White Rock-rose ''Helianthemum apenninum'' * Hoary Rock-rose ''Helianthemum canum'' * the hybrid between White and Hoary Rock-roses ''Helianthemum × sulfureum'' * Spotted Cat's-ear ''Hypochoeris maculata'' * Somerset Hair-grass ''Koeleria vallesiana'' * Spring Cinquefoil ''Potentilla tabernaemontani'' * Autumn Squill ''Scilla autumnalis'' *

Spring Squill ''Scilla verna'', commonly known as spring squill, is a flowering plant native to Western Europe. It belongs to the squill genus ''Scilla''. Its star-like blue flowers are produced during the spring. It is a small plant, usually reaching 5-15 ce ...

''Scilla verna'' * Rock Stonecrop ''Sedum forsterianum'' * Silver Ragwort ''Senecio cineraria'' *

Spiked Speedwell ''Veronica spicata'' (spiked speedwell; syn. ''Pseudolysimachion spicatum'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. It is tall and bears 1 foot long spikes with blue, pink, purple and white flowers. It is the county flow ...

''Veronica spicata'' * Curving Feather-moss ''Scorpiurium circinatum'' * Neat Crisp-moss ''Tortella nitida''

Distribution

This community is found in scattered locations on

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

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. John S. Rodwell (1946 – present) is an ecologist who was based at the University of Lancaster, noted for his role in the development of the British National Vegetation Classification and as editor of the five volumes of ''British Plant Commu ...

(1992) '' British Plant Communities Volume 3 - Grasslands and montane communities'' (hardback), (paperback) {{DEFAULTSORT:British NVC community CG1 (Festuca ovina - Carlina vulgaris grassland) CG01 Vulgaris, NVC Ovina, NVC