NVC community CG10 (Festuca ovina - Agrostis capillaris - Thymus praecox grassland) is one of the calcicolous grassland communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system. Of the upland group of calcicolous grasslands, it is the only one with a short sward associated with heavy grazing.

It is a comparatively widely distributed community in the British uplands. There are three subcommunities.

Community composition

The following constant species are found in this community:

• Common Bent (Agrostis capillaris)
• Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia)
• Sheep's Fescue (Festuca ovina)
• Red Fescue (Festuca rubra)
• Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
• Tormentil (Potentilla erecta)
• Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris)
• Wild Thyme (Thymus praecox)
• Common Dog-violet (Viola riviniana)
• Glittering Wood-moss (Hylocomium splendens)

The following rare species are also associated with the community:

• the Lady's-mantle (Alchemilla filicaulis ssp. filicaulis)
• the Lady's-mantle (Alchemilla wichurae)
• Hair Sedge (Carex capillaris)
• Soft-leaved Sedge (Carex montana)
• Rock Sedge (Carex rupestris)
• Hoary Whitlowgrass (Draba incana)
• Limestone Bedstraw (Galium sterneri)
• Spring Sandwort (Minuartia verna)
• Alpine Forget-me-not (Myosotis alpestris)
• Dwarf Cudweed (Omalotheca supina)
• Alpine Pearlwort (Sagina saginoides)
• Dwarf Willow (Salix herbacea)
• Sibbaldia (Sibbaldia procumbens)
• Scottish Asphodel (Tofieldia pusilla)

Distribution

This community is found widely on calcareous upland sites in Scotland, northern England and Wales.

Subcommunities

There are three subcommunities:

• the Trifolium repens - Luzula campestris subcommunity
• the Carex pulicaris - Carex panicea subcommunity
• the Saxifraga aizoides - Ditrichum flexicaule subcommunity

References

• Rodwell, J. S. (1992) British Plant Communities Volume 3 - Grasslands and montane communities ISBN 0-521-39166-0 (hardback), ISBN 0-521-62719-2 (paperback)