__NOTOC__ NVC community CG1 (Festuca ovina - Carlina vulgaris 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 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 Cock's-foot Dactylis glomerata Sheep's Fescue (Festuca ovina) Mouse-ear Hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella) Common Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor) Wild Thyme (Thymus praecox)
The following rare species are also associated with the community:
Bristol Rock-cress Arabis stricta Goldilocks Aster Aster linosyris Small Hare's-ear Bupleurum baldense Dwarf Sedge Carex humilis Dwarf Mouse-ear Cerastium pumilum Yellow Whitlowgrass Draba aizoides Portland Spurge Euphorbia portlandica Early Gentian 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 Rock Stonecrop Sedum forsterianum Silver Ragwort Senecio cineraria Spiked Speedwell Veronica spicata Curving Feather-moss Scorpiurium circinatum Neat Crisp-moss Tortella nitida
Distribution
This community is found in scattered locations on limestone 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. (1992) British Plant Communities Volume 3 - Grasslands and montane communities (hardback), (paperback)