British NVC community MC10
British NVC community MC10 (Festuca rubra - Plantago spp. maritime grassland) is one of the maritime cliff communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system. It is one of five communities categorised as maritime sea-cliff grasslands.
This community is found widely in coastal areas. There are three subcommunities.
Community composition
[edit]Five constant species are found in this community:
- Red Fescue (Festuca rubra)
- Buck's-horn Plantain (Plantago coronopus)
- Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
- Sea Plantain (Plantago maritima)
- Creeping Bent (Agrostis stolonifera)
Five rare species are associated with this community:
- Purple Milk-vetch (Astragalus danicus)
- Purple Oxytropis (Oxytropus halleri)
- Scottish Primrose (Primula scotica)
- Spring Squill (Scilla verna)
- Western Clover (Trifolium occidentale)
Distribution
[edit]This community is found in coastal areas on the west coast of Britain from Devon and Cornwall north to Shetland, with outlying examples in southeast Scotland and Northumberland.
Subcommunities
[edit]There are three subcommunities:
- the Armeria maritima subcommunity
- the Carex panicea subcommunity
- the Schoenus nigricans subcommunity
References
[edit]- Rodwell, J. S. (2000) British Plant Communities Volume 5 - Maritime communities and vegetation of open habitats ISBN 0-521-39167-9 (hardback), ISBN 0-521-64476-3 (paperback)