Synonymy

Calliergon cuspidatum-Salix repens noda Jones 1992.

Constant species

Hydrocotyle vulgaris, Mentha aquatica, Salix repens, Calliergon cuspidatum.

Physiognomy

The Salix repens-Calliergon cuspidatum dune-slack community shares, with the Salix-Campylium vegetation, the high frequency of Salix repens, Hydrocotyle vulgaris, Mentha aquatica and Calliergon cuspidatum but the other vascular constants of that assemblage, Carex flacca, Agrostis stolonifera, Equisetum variegatum and Epipactis palustris, are of more restricted occurrence here and Campylium stellatum is extremely scarce.

Also, with more frequent records throughout for Galium palustre, Epilobium palustre, Equisetum palustre and Lotus uliginosus, the overall stamp of the vegetation tends to be like a poor fen rather than a rich fen. Also occasional in the community are Festuca rubra and Poa pratensis with local enrichment from tall herbs such as Iris pseudacorus, Filipendula ulmaria and Phragmites australis.

Apart from Calliergon cuspidatum, which is usually extremely abundant in a thick carpet, there are no frequent bryophytes and the striking contingent of calcicolous thalloid liverworts characteristic of some kinds of Salix-Campylium dune-slack is never present.

Sub-communities

Carex nigra sub-community: Calliergon cuspidatum-Salix repens noda, species-poor sub-type Jones 1992. Both Rubus caesius and Galium palustre are constant here but more strongly preferential are Carex nigra and Scutellaria galericulata with occasional Lysimachia vulgaris and Equisetum fluvitile.