Synonymy

Callunetum arenosum Tansley 1911 p.p.; Callunetum arenicolum Tansley 1939; Agrostis setacea-Ulex minor heath Ivimey-Cook 1959; Agrosto setaceae-Ulicetum minoris Bridgewater 1970; Calluna-Ulex minor heaths Gimingham 1972 p.p.

Constant species

Agrostis curtisii, Calluna vulgaris, Erica cinerea, E. tetralix, Molinia caerulea, Ulex minor.

Rare species

Agrostis curtisii, Erica ciliaris, Viola lactea.

Physiognomy

The Ulex minor-Agrostis curtisii heath contains virtually all the sub-shrub vegetation in which these two species occur together as important components. Throughout the eastern part of its range, and particularly on some of the Surrey commons, A. curtisii can figure occasionally in the Calluna-Ulex minor heath, in which mixtures of Calluna, U. minor and Erica cinerea generally predominate but, in the present community, it is a consistent feature and has, as additional constant associates, Erica tetralix and Molinia caerulea. Even when there are few other companions, therefore, and this is typically not a species-rich kind of vegetation, the cover tends to be a little more diverse than in the Calluna-Ulex minor heath, particularly as many stands still experience some burning and grazing, treatments which affect both the floristics and structure of the community.

Often, therefore, the sub-shrub canopy in this kind of heath is fairly low, usually 2-3 dm tall, and though Calluna quite frequently dominates, especially in stands which have not been burned for some time, degenerate and leggy heather is not so common as in some other, more neglected, heath communities. With its growth kept in check somewhat, the other sub-shrubs maintain a more or less consistent contribution throughout, though their proportions are very variable from stand to stand. Compared with less oceanic heaths, the most unusual feature of the woody cover is the occurrence together of Erica cinerea and E. tetralix, species which, in areas of less equable climate, are fairly rigidly partitioned into dryand wet-heath vegetation respectively. Both can grow vigorously here, although E. cinerea is the more abundant species overall and is especially likely to become prominent after burning or on disturbed ground where, provided the soil is reasonably dry, it can temporarily outstrip Calluna in its regenerative ability.