• This community occurs on high-elevation (usually above 1,350 m or 4,500 feet), often south- to southwest-facing domes, ridgetops, and gentle slopes.
  • Strong winds, high rainfall, frequent fog, shallow rocky soils, and extremes of temperature and moisture are characteristic of these environments.
  • It is known from the highest elevations of the southern Appalachian Mountains.
    
    
• It is typically surrounded by dwarfed forests dominated by Fagus grandifolia or Quercus rubra.
  
  
• This community consists of graminoid-dominated vegetation with scattered shrubs, occurring on moderate to high elevation peaks and saddles in the Southern Blue Ridge.
  • Characteristically, this vegetation is strongly dominated by Danthonia compressa, or in some areas codominated by the subshrub Sibbaldiopsis tridentata (= Potentilla tridentata).
• Other characteristic herbaceous species are Angelica triquinata, Oclemena acuminata, Carex pensylvanica, Carex debilis, Carex intumescens, Carex brunnescens, Deschampsia flexuosa, Erythronium umbilicatum ssp. monostolum, Gentiana austromontana, Gentianella quinquefolia, Houstonia serpyllifolia, Ionactis linariifolius, Lysimachia quadrifolia, Potentilla canadensis, Prenanthes roanensis, Smilax herbacea, Solidago bicolor, Solidago glomerata, Stachys clingmanii, Trautvetteria caroliniensis.
  
  
• The floristic composition is a mixture of widespread species;
  • northern disjunct species (such as Agrostis mertensii, Carex siccata (= Carex aenea), Minuartia groenlandica, Packera schweinitziana (= Senecio schweinitzianus), Sibbaldiopsis tridentata),
  • Southern Appalachian endemics (such as Erythronium umbilicatum ssp. monostolum, Geum geniculatum, Geum radiatum, Houstonia serpyllifolia, Lilium grayi, Prenanthes roanensis, Solidago glomerata, Stachys clingmanii).
    
    
• Typical shrubs (which may occur as scattered individuals or as patches) are Rhododendron calendulaceum, Rhododendron catawbiense, Menziesia pilosa, Vaccinium corymbosum, and Rubus canadensis.
  
  
• Species indicative of past grazing include Phleum pratense, Agrostis gigantea, Hieracium scabrum, Rumex acetosella, Prunella vulgaris.

• This community includes open vegetation dominated by graminoid species, sometimes with large patches dominated by deciduous ericads.
  
  
• Danthonia compressa is the aspect dominant herb, although other herbaceous species with high coverage include Arnoglossum muehlenbergii, Cinna latifolia, Danthonia spicata, Phleum pratense, Poa compressa, Potentilla canadensis, and Rumex acetosella.
  • Other species present in the herbaceous stratum include Achillea millefolium, Ageratina altissima var. roanensis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Symphyotrichum dumosum, Sericocarpus asteroides, Carex siccata (= Carex aenea), Carex leavenworthii, Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Galium pilosum, Houstonia purpurea, Houstonia serpyllifolia, Hypericum punctatum, Juncus effusus, Juncus marginatus, Luzula acuminata, Lysimachia quadrifolia, Malaxis unifolia, Melampyrum lineare, Potentilla simplex, Prenanthes altissima, Prunella vulgaris, Rubus canadensis, Rudbeckia hirta, Packera anonyma (= Senecio anonymus), Solanum carolinense, and Viola X primulifolia.
    
    
• Alien species present that may indicate past grazing include Agrostis stolonifera, Carduus acanthoides, Cerastium nutans, Holcus lanatus, Leucanthemum vulgare, Phleum pratense, Trifolium pratense, and Veronica serpyllifolia.
  
  
• On Gregory Bald, the shrubs Rhododendron calendulaceum and Vaccinium corymbosum are locally dominant.
  • Other scattered woody plants in this community include Amelanchier laevis, Kalmia latifolia, Magnolia acuminata, and Prunus serotina.

• This montane sparse dwarf-shrubland is found in the high mountain areas of the Southern Appalachians.
  • While the majority of examples occur in North Carolina, this community is also known from Tennessee and Virginia.

• This community was sampled from Russell Field Bald, Gregory Bald, Spence Fields, and Andrews Bald.

• Global Conservation Status Rank: G1 (Last reviewed: 12 14 1998).
  
  
• This community has small range, few occurrences, and is rapidly disappearing due to vegetational succession.
  • This community is threatened by high levels of recreational use and the introduction of exotic plant and animal species, as well as by successional trends of uncertain cause.

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