List of constant species in the British National Vegetation Classification


The following is a list of vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens which are constant species in one or more community of the British National Vegetation Classification system.

Vascular plants

Grasses

English nameScientific nameCommunities
Brown bentAgrostis vinealisH6
Common bentAgrostis capillarisMG3, MG5, SD12, CG10, W11
Bristle bentAgrostis curtisiiH3, H4
Creeping bentAgrostis stoloniferaMG10, MG11, MG12, MG13, MC10, SD17
Marsh foxtailAlopecurus geniculatusMG13
Meadow foxtailAlopecurus pratensisMG4
MarramAmmophila arenariaSD12, SD19
Sweet vernal-grassAnthoxanthum odoratumMG3, MG5, MG8, W11
False oat-grassArrhenatherum elatiusMG1, MG2
Meadow oat-grassAvenula pratensisCG2, CG6
Downy oat-grassAvenula pubescensCG6
Tor-grassBrachypodium pinnatumCG4, CG5
Quaking grassBriza mediaCG2, CG5
Upright bromeBromus erectusCG3, CG5
Crested dog's-tailCynosurus cristatusMG4, MG5, MG6, MG8
Cock's-footDactylis glomerataMG3, MG5, MG1, MG2, MC4, CG1
Tufted hair-grassDeschampsia cespitosa ssp. cespitosaMG9, H21
Wavy hair-grassDeschampsia flexuosaH2, W11, H9, H12, H14, H15, H16, H17, H18, H19, H20, H22
Smooth finger-grassDigitaria ischaemumOV5
Sea couchElymus pycnanthusSM24
Common couchElytrigia repensOV5
Tall fescueFestuca arundinaceaMG12
Sheep's fescueFestuca ovinaH1, H5, H7, H20, CG1, CG2, CG3, CG4, CG5, CG7, U6, SD12, CG10
Red fescueFestuca rubraMG2, MG3, MG4, MG5, MG6, MG8, MG11, MG12, MC1, MC2, MC3, MC4, MC5, MC6, MC10, CG6, CG10, SD19, MC12
Viviparous fescueFestuca viviparaH20
Yorkshire-fogHolcus lanatusMG3, MG4, MG5, MG6, MG8, MG9, MG10, H7, MC12
Creeping soft-grassHolcus mollisW11
Crested hair-grassKoeleria macranthaCG2
Perennial rye-grassLolium perenneMG4, MG6
Purple moor-grassMolinia caeruleaH3, H4, H5
Common reedPhragmites australisW2
Annual meadow-grassPoa annuaOV4, OV5, OV20
Smooth meadow-grassPoa pratensisSD12
MG3, rough meadow-grassPoa trivialisMG2, MG8
Sand cat's-tailPhleum arenariumSD19
Common saltmarsh-grassPuccinellia maritimaSM10

Sedges and rushes

English nameScientific nameCommunities
Sand sedgeCarex arenariaSD11, SD12, SD19, H11
Stiff sedgeCarex bigelowiiH19, H20
Tufted sedgeCarex elataS1
Glaucous sedgeCarex flaccaCG2, CG3, CG4, CG5, H6
Common sedgeCarex nigraSD17
Flea sedgeCarex pulicarisH5
Bottle sedgeCarex rostrataW3, M4
Deergrass Cirpus cespitosusH15
Common cottongrassEriophorum angustifoliumM1, M2, M3, M20
Hare's-tail cottongrassEriophorum vaginatumM20
Soft rushJuncus effususMG10
Heath rushJuncus squarrosusU6
Black bog-rushSchoenus nigricansH5

Trees

English nameScientific nameCommunities
Field mapleAcer campestreW8
AlderAlnus glutinosaW5, W6, W7
Silver birchBetula pendulaW11
Downy birchBetula pubescensW2, W4, W11
HazelCorylus avellanaW8, W9
AshFraxinus excelsiorW8, W9
JuniperJuniperus communisW19
Alpine juniperJuniperus communis ssp. nanaH15
Scots pinePinus sylvestrisW18
English oakQuercus roburW10
Sessile oakQuercus petraeaW11, W17
Grey willowSalix cinereaW1, W2, W3
Bay willowSalix pentandraW3
YewTaxus baccataW13

Other [dicotyledons]

English nameScientific nameCommunities
A lady's-mantleAlchemilla glabraMG3
Bog pimpernelAnagallis tenellaH5
Wild angelicaAngelica sylvestrisW3, MG2
Alpine bearberryArctostaphylos alpinuH17
BearberryArctostaphylos uva-ursiH16
Thyme-leaved sandwortArenaria serpyllifoliaSD19
ThriftArmeria maritimaMC1, MC2, MC3, MC5
Spear-leaved oracheAtriplex prostata agg.MC6
Sea beetBeta vulgaris ssp. maritimaMC6
Wild cabbageBrassica oleraceaMC4
Sea rocketCakile maritimaSD2
HeatherCalluna vulgarisH1, H2, H3, H4, H7, H8, H9, H10, H11, H12, H13, H14, H15, H16, H17, H21, H22
Marsh-marigoldCaltha palustrisW3, MG8
HarebellCampanula rotundifoliaCG10
CuckooflowerCardamine pratensisW3
Carline thistleCarlina vulgarisCG1
Black knapweedCentaurea nigraMG5
Sea mouse-earCerastium diffusum ssp. diffusumMC5
Common mouse-earCerastium fontanumMG3, MG4, MG6, MG8
Corn marigoldChrysanthemum segetumOV4
PignutConopodium majusMG3
Dwarf cornelCornus suecicaH22
Smooth hawk's-beardCrepis capillarisOV5
Rock samphireCrithmum maritimumMC1
CrosswortCruciata laevipesMG2
Ivy-leaved toadflaxCymbalaria muralisOV42
Sea carrotDaucus carota ssp. gummiferMC4
Round-leaved sundewDrosera rotundifoliaM2
CrowberryEmpetrum nigrum ssp nigrumH13
Mountain crowberryEmpetrum nigrum ssp hermaphroditumH20, H22
Broad-leaved willowherbEpilobium montanumMG2
Bell heatherErica cinereaH2, H3, H4, H6, H7, H8, H10, H15, H16
Cross-leaved heathErica tetralixM2, H3, H4, H5
Cornish heathErica vagansH5, H6
Common stork's-billErodium cicutariumOV5
MeadowsweetFilipendula ulmariaW3, MG4, MG2, H6
CleaversGalium aparineSD3
Common marsh-bedstrawGalium palustreW1, W3
Heath bedstrawGalium saxatileW11, H18, H20,
Dove's-foot crane's-billGeranium molleOV5
Wood crane's-billGeranium sylvaticumMG3
Water avensGeum rivaleMG2, W3
Yellow horned-poppyGlaucium flavumSD1
Common rock-roseHelianthemum nummulariumCG5
Common hogweedHeracleum sphondyliumMG2
Mouse-ear hawkweedHieracium pilosellaCG1, CG2, CG5, CG7
Sea sandwortHonkenya peploidesSD2
Common cat's-earHypochaeris radicataH7
Meadow vetchlingLathyrus pratensisMG4
Autumn hawkbitLeontodon autumnalisMG4, MG8
Rough hawkbitLeontodon hispidusCG2, CG5, CG7
Scots lovageLigusticum scoticumMC2
Fairy flaxLinum catharticumCG2
HoneysuckleLonicera periclymenumW10
Bird's-foot trefoilLotus corniculatusMG5, CG1, CG2, CG3, CG5, CG6, H7
Sea mayweedMatricaria maritimaMC6, SD3
BogbeanMenyanthes trifoliataM1
Dog's mercuryMercurialis perennisMG2, W8, W9
Wood-sorrelOxalis acetosellaW9, W11
Pellitory-of-the-wallParietaria diffusaOV41
Buck's-horn plantainPlantago coronopus)MC5, MC10
Ribwort plantainPlantago lanceolataMG3, MG4, MG5, CG1, CG2, CG3, H7, MC10, CG10
Sea plantainPlantago maritimaH7, MC10
KnotgrassPolygonum aviculareOV4
SilverweedPotentilla anserinaMG11, SD17
TormentilPotentilla erectaW11, H4, H5, H7, CG10, H10, H15, H21
Self-healPrunella vulgarisCG10
Meadow buttercupRanunculus acrisMG3, MG4, MG8
Creeping buttercupRanunculus repensMG10
RoserootRhodiola roseaMC3
CloudberryRubus chamaemorusH22
BrambleRubus fruticosus agg.W8, W10
Common sorrelRumex acetosaMG3, MG4, MG8, MC3, MC12
Curled dockRumex crispusSD1
Procumbent pearlwortSagina procumbensOV20
Annual species of glasswortSalicornia spp.SM10
Salad burnetSanguisorba minorCG1, CG2, CG3, CG5
Great burnetSanguisorba officinalis)MG3, MG4
Small scabiousScabiosa columbariaCG2
Biting stonecropSedum acreMC5
English stonecropSedum anglicumMC5
GroundselSenecio vulgarisOV5
Saw-wortSerratula tinctoriaH5
Red campionSilene dioicaMG2
Corn spurreySpergula arvensisOV4, OV5
Greater sea-spurreySpergularia rupicolaMC1
Common chickweedStellaria mediaMC7, OV5
Annual sea-bliteSuaeda maritimaSM10
Devil's-bit scabiousSuccisa pratensisH5
DandelionTaraxacum officinale agg.MG4, CG6
Wild thymeThymus praecoxCG1, CG2, CG5, CG7, H7, CG10
Large thymeThymus pulegioidesCG7
Red cloverTrifolium pratense)MG4, MG5
White cloverTrifolium repens)MG3, MG4, MG5, MG6, MG8
Common gorseUlex europaeusH6
Western gorseUlex galliiH4, H5, H6, H8
Dwarf gorseUlex minorH2, H3
Stinging nettleUrtica dioicaMG2
BilberryVaccinium myrtillusH12, H18, H19, H20, H21, H22
CowberryVaccinium vitis-idaeaH16, H19, H22
Marsh valerianValeriana dioicaW3
Common valerianValeriana officinalisMG2
Common dog-violetViola rivinianaW9, W11, H6, CG10

Other monocotyledons

English nameScientific nameCommunities
BluebellHyacinthoides non-scriptaMC12
Broad-leaved pondweedPotamogeton natansA9
Spring squillScilla vernaH7
Narrow-leaved eelgrassZostera angustifoliaSM1
EelgrassZostera marinaSM1
Dwarf eelgrassZostera nolteiSM1

Ferns

English nameScientific nameCommunities
Wall-rueAsplenium ruta-murariaOV39
Maidenhair spleenwortAsplenium trichomanesOV39
Hard fernBlechnum spicantH21
Male fernDryopteris filix-masW9, MG2
BrackenPteridium aquilinumW10, W11

Clubmosses

English nameScientific nameCommunities
Fir clubmossHuperzia selagoH17

Bryophytes

Mosses

English nameScientific nameCommunities
Pointed spear-mossCalliergon cuspidatumW3, SD17
Yellow starry feather-mossCampylium stellatumH5
Broom fork-mossDicranum scoparium sensu latoH1, H12, H16, H18, H21, H22
Common feather-mossEurhynchium praelongumW8, W9
Common striated feather-mossEurhynchium striatumW9
Swartz's feather-mossEurhynchium swartziiMG2
Silky wall feather-mossHomalothecium sericeumOV39
Glittering wood-mossHylocomium splendensCG10, W11, H16, H20, H21, H22
Cypress-leaved plait-moss and allied speciesHypnum cupressiforme sensu latoH1, CG7, H14, H15, H21
Heath plait-mossHypnum jutlandicumH12, H16
Swan's-neck thyme-mossMnium hornumW3
Hart's-tongue thyme-mossPlagiomnium undulatumMG2, W9
Dented silk-mossPlagiothecium denticulatumMG2
Waved silk-mossPlagiothecium undulatumH21
Pleurozium schreberiH12, H16, H18, H20, H21, H22
Nodding thread-mossPohlia nutansH9
Common haircapPolytrichum communeM4, U6
Neat feather-mossPseudoscleropodium purumW11, CG6
Woolly fringe-moss Racomitrium lanuginosumH13, H14, H15, H17, H19, H20
Little shaggy-mossRhytidiadelphus loreusH20, H21, H22
Springy turf-mossRhytidiadelphus squarrosusW11
Dotted thyme-mossRhizomnium punctatumW3
Seaside grimmiaSchistidium maritimumMC2
Cow-horn bog-mossSphagnum auriculatumM1
Acute-leaved bog-mossSphagnum capillifoliumH21, H22
Feathery bog-mossSphagnum cuspidatumM1, M2, M4
Flat-topped / flexuous bog-mossesSphagnum recurvumM2, M4
Common tamarisk-mossThuidium tamariscinumW9, W11

Liverworts

English nameScientific nameCommunities
Bifid crestwortLophocolea bidentata sensu latoMG2, U6
Purple spoonwortPleurozia purpureaH15
Wall scalewortPorella platyphyllaOV39

Lichens

English nameScientific nameCommunities
Alectoria nigricansH13
Iceland mossCetraria islandicaH13, H19
Cladonia arbusculaH13, H14, H17, H19, H22
Cladonia impexaH16
Reindeer lichenCladonia rangiferinaH13
Cladonia uncialisH15, H17, H19, H20
Cornicularia aculeataSD11, H13