British NVC community CG1

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