Great Wilbraham Common
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TL533576 | — | Favourable | 23.51 | 2012-10-23 |
Description
Description great Wilbraham Common supports neutral grassland communities of the calcareous loam grassland type. This is a type that is now rare in Britain. Only fragments are known to persist, chiefly as small areas of common land. This site is one of the largest remaining species rich grasslands in Cambridgeshire. The sward is characterised by the presence of such grasses as white bent Agrostis stolonifera and red fescue Festuca rubra. Other characteristic species include quaking grass Briza media, glaucous sedge Carex flacca, lady’s bedstraw Galium verum and salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba. A number of locally uncommon species are also present. They include purple milk vetch Astragalus danicus, felwort Gentianella amarella, meadow saxifrage Saxifraga granulataa, green winged orchid Anacamptis morio and sulphur clover Trifolium ochroleucon.
Species mentioned
Show the 10 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| creeping bent | Agrostis stolonifera | LC | grass | poaceae |
| quaking grass | Briza media | VU | grass | poaceae |
| red fescue | Festuca rubra | LC | grass | poaceae |
| green-winged orchid | Anacamptis morio | NT | herb | orchidaceae |
| purple milk vetch | Astragalus danicus | EN | herb | fabaceae |
| lady's bedstraw | Galium verum | LC | herb | rubiaceae |
| autumn gentian | Gentianella amarella | LC | herb | gentianaceae |
| salad burnet | Poterium sanguisorba | VU | herb | rosaceae |
| sulphur clover | Trifolium ochroleucon | EN | herb | fabaceae |
| glaucus sedge | Carex flacca | LC | sedge | cyperaceae |