MC10: Festuca rubra-Plantago spp. maritime grassland

Summary

Synonymy

Plantago sward Praeger 1911, Tansley, 1939, Asprey 1946, Poore & Robertson 1949, McVean 1961 p.p.; Plantaginetum coronopi Gillham 1953 p.p.; Plantago maritima nodum Malloch 1971; Habitat Group IV Goldsmith 1975 p.p.

Constant species

Festuca rubra, Plantago coronopus, P. lanceolata, P. maritima, Agrostis stolonifera.

Rare species

Astragalus danicus, Oxytropis halleri, Primula scotica, Scilla verna, Trifolium occidentale.

Physiognomy

The Festuca-Plantago maritime grassland has a closed, very short and tight sward which is generally dominated by F. rubra and Plantago spp., especially P. maritima, with some Agrostis stolonifera and a variety of diminutive herbaceous associates of which Euphrasia spp. (usually grazed beyond recognition to the species), Lotus corniculatus, Leontodon autumnalis, Cerastium fontanum and Scilla verna are the most frequent throughout. Bryophytes make a small contribution to the sward with occasional records for Hypnum cupressiforme and Mnium hornum.

Sub-communities

Armeria maritima sub-community: Plantago sward auct. angl. p.p. A. maritima is an additional constant in the rather species-poor sward of this sub-community, though it is only rarely abundant. Holcus lanatus, Cochlearia officinalis, Poa subcaerulea (especially in the north), Silene vulgaris ssp. maritima, Leontodon taraxacoides and Cerastium diffusum ssp. diffusum are preferential or differential at low frequency. Oxytropis halleri, Primula scotica and Trifolium occidentale occur occasionally within their ranges of distribution.

Carex panicea sub-community. Euphrasia spp., Lotus corniculatus and Leontodon autumnalis attain constancy in this more species-rich and rather variable sward but the really distinctive feature is the constancy and occasional abundance of Carex panicea.