NVC community H7 (''Calluna vulgaris - Scilla verna'' heath) is one of the

heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler ...

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 two communities categorised as maritime heaths. It is a fairly widespread coastal community. There are five subcommunities.

Community composition

The following eleven constant species are found in this community: * Heather (''Calluna vulgaris'') *

Bell Heather ''Erica cinerea'', the bell heather, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae, native to western and central Europe. The plant provides a great deal of nectar for pollinators. It was rated in the top 5 for most nectar produc ...

(''Erica cinerea'') *

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'') *

Yorkshire-fog ''Holcus lanatus'' is a perennial Poaceae, grass. The specific name (botany), specific epithet ' is Latin for 'woolly' which describes the plant's hairy texture. Common names include Yorkshire fog, tufted grass, and meadow soft grass. In North Am ...

(''Holcus lanatus'') * Common Cat's-ear (''Hypochaeris radicata'') *

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'') * Sea Plantain (''Plantago maritima'') *

Tormentil ''Potentilla'' is a genus containing over 300Guillén, A., et al. (2005)Reproductive biology of the Iberian species of ''Potentilla'' L. (Rosaceae).''Anales del Jardín Botánico de Madrid'' 1(62) 9–21. species of annual, biennial and perenni ...

(''Potentilla erecta'') *

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'') *

Wild Thyme ''Thymus serpyllum'', known by the common names of Breckland thyme, Breckland wild thyme, wild thyme, creeping thyme, or elfin thyme, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to most of Europe and North Africa. It is ...

(''Thymus praecox'') The following rare species are associated with the community: *

Chives Chives, scientific name ''Allium schoenoprasum'', is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae that produces edible leaves and flowers. Their close relatives include the common onions, garlic, shallot, leek, scallion, and ...

(''Allium schoenoprasum'') *

Purple Milk-vetch Purple milkvetch or purple milk-vetch is a common name for several plants and may refer to: *'' Astragalus agrestis'', native to North America *''Astragalus danicus ''Astragalus danicus'', known as purple milk-vetch, is a species of flowering p ...

(''Astragalus danicus'') *

Cornish Heath ''Erica vagans'', the Cornish heath or wandering heath, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to Ireland, Cornwall, western France and Spain. It is a vigorous, spreading, evergreen heather reaching tall and wide, with ...

(''Erica vagans'') *

Portland Spurge Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

(''Euphorbia portlandica'') *

Hairy Greenweed ''Genista pilosa'', commonly known as hairy greenweed, silkyleaf broom, silkyleaf woadwaxen and creeping broom, is a plant species in the genus ''Genista''. It is tall and has green coloured stems. It has yellowish coloured flowers which grow in ...

(''Genista pilosa'') * Fringed Rupturewort (''Herniaria ciliolata'') * Land Quillwort (''Isoetes histrix'') *

Spring Sandwort Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a he ...

(''Minuartia verna'') *

Scottish Primrose ''Primula scotica'', commonly known as Scottish primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the family, Primulaceae, the primroses and their relatives. It was discovered by James Smith, and is endemic to the north coast of Scotland. Descripti ...

(''Primula scotica'') *

Autumn Squill ''Prospero autumnale'', the autumn squill, an autumnal flowering plant of the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, is found in the Mediterranean region from Portugal and Morocco east to Turkey and the Caucasus, plus Great Britain. Despite ...

(''Scilla autumnalis'') *

(''Scilla verna'') *

Autumn Ladies'-tresses ''Spiranthes spiralis'', commonly known as autumn lady's-tresses, is an orchid that grows in Europe and adjacent North Africa and Asia. It is a small grey-green plant. It forms a rosette of four to five pointed, sessile, ovate leaves about in le ...

(''Spiranthes spiralis'') * Twin-headed Clover (''Trifolium bocconei'') *

Western Clover ''Trifolium occidentale'', the western clover, is a clover plant belonging to the genus ''Trifolium'' in the legume family, Fabaceae. Its flowers are white, similar to white clover (''Trifolium repens''), with which it has long been confused. Th ...

(''Trifolium occidentale'')

Distribution

This community is found all around the coasts of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

, western

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

and

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

Subcommunities

There are five subcommunities: * the ''Armeria maritima'' subcommunity * the ''Viola riviniana'' subcommunity * the ''Erica tetralix'' subcommunity * the ''Empetrum nigrum ssp. nigrum'' subcommunity * the ''Calluna vulgaris'' subcommunity

References

* Rodwell, J. S. (1991) '' British Plant Communities Volume 2 - Mires and heaths'' (hardback), (paperback) {{NVC-H H07