NVC community W2 ( Salix cinerea - Betula pubescens - Phragmites australis woodland) is one of the woodland communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system. It is one of seven woodland communities in the NVC classed as " wet woodlands".

This is a fairly locally distributed community. There are two subcommunities.

Community composition

Three constant species is found in this community, Grey Willow ( Salix cinerea), Downy Birch ( Betula pubescens) and Common Reed ( Phragmites australis).

Six rare species are also associated with the community:

• Elongated Sedge ( Carex elongata)
• Crested Buckler-fern ( Dryopteris cristata)
• the fern Dryopteris × uliginosa, the hybrid of Crested Buckler-fern and Narrow Buckler-fern ( D. carthusiana)
• Milk-parsley ( Peucedanum palustre)
• Round-leaved Wintergreen ( Pyrola rotundifolia)
• Marsh Fern ( Thelypteris palustris)

Distribution

This community is distributed in two main areas of Britain - East Anglia and Northwest England. There are also examples in South Wales and Yorkshire

Subcommunities

There are two subcommunities:

• the Alnus glutinosa - Filipendula ulmaria subcommunity
• the Sphagnum ssp. subcommunity

References

• Rodwell, J. S. (1991) British Plant Communities Volume 1 - Woodlands and scrub ISBN  0-521-23558-8 (hardback), ISBN  0-521-62721-4 (paperback)