title: Maritime cliff communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system
text: # Maritime cliff communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system
  
  This article gives an overview of the maritime cliff communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system.
  
  ## Introduction
  
  The maritime cliff communities of the NVC were described in Volume 5 of British Plant Communities, first published in 2000, along with the other maritime communities (those of shingle strand-line and sand-dunes and saltmarshes) and vegetation of open habitats.
  
  In total, 12 maritime cliff communities have been identified.
  
  The maritime cliff communities consist of three subgroups:
  
  * five maritime cliff crevice and ledge communities (MC1, MC2, MC3, MC4 and MC5)
  * five maritime grassland communities of sea-cliffs (MC8, MC9, MC10, MC11 and MC12)
  * two communities associated with sea-bird cliffs (MC6 and MC7)
  
  ## List of maritime cliff communities
  
  The following is a list of the communities that make up this category:
  
  * MC1 Crithmum maritimum - Spergularia rupicola maritime rock-crevice community Crithmo-Spergularietum rupicolae Géhu 1964
  * MC2 Armeria maritima - Ligusticum scoticum maritime rock-crevice community
  * MC3 Rhodiola rosea - Armeria maritima maritime cliff-ledge community
  * MC4 Brassica oleracea maritime cliff-ledge community
  * MC5 Armeria maritima - Cerastium diffusum ssp. diffusum maritime therophyte community
  * MC6 Atriplex prostrata - Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima sea-bird cliff community Atriplici-Betetum maritimae J.-M. & J. Géhu 1969
  * MC7 Stellaria media - Rumex acetosa sea-bird cliff community
  * MC8 Festuca rubra - Armeria maritima maritime grassland
  * MC9 Festuca rubra - Holcus lanatus maritime grassland
  * MC10 Festuca rubra - Plantago spp. maritime grassland
  * MC11 Festuca rubra - Daucus carota ssp. gummifer maritime grassland
  * MC12 Festuca rubra - Hyacinthoides non-scripta maritime bluebell community
  