Synonymy

Lythrum hyssopifolia stands Preston & Whitehouse 1986.

Constant species

Anagallis arvensis, Juncus bufonius, Lythrum hyssopifolia, Matricaria perforata, Plantago major, Polygonum aviculare, Polygonum persicaria, Bryum klinggraeffii, Pottia starkeana ssp. minutula, Riccia glauca.

Rare species

Lythrum hyssopifolia.

Physiognomy

The Lythrum hyssopifolia-Juncus bufonis community comprises ephemeral vegetation which, by mid-summer, is typically dominated by mixtures of the nationally rare Lythrum hyssopifolia, together with Juncus bufonius, Plantago major (diagnosed as ssp. intermedia by Preston & Whitehouse 1986), Polygonum persicaria and P. aviculare. Also frequent throughout among the vascular associates are Mentha arvensis, Rumex crispus and seedlings of Salix spp. Elymus repens is occasional and, in sites which have been undisturbed by recent ploughing, Polygonum amphibium tends to increase. Bryophytes are an important element in the vegetation with Bryum kling graeffii and Riccia glauca common throughout, the former with modest abundance.

Preston & Whitehouse (1986) noted a consistent, but overlapping, contrast between the stands they sampled but not sufficiently sharp to characterise sub-communities. To one extreme, species such as Anagallis arvensis, Alopecurus myosuroides, Kickxia elatine, K. spuria and more obviously Anthemis cotula and Aethusa cynapium ssp. agrestis, tended to be associated with Pottia starkeana ssp. minutula, Barbula unguiculata, B. argenteum, Dicranella staphylina and D. varia. To the other, Matricaria perforata and Equisetum arvense were found with Physcomitrella patens, Riccia cavernosa, R. subbifurca and Pohlia carnea.