Moderately open to closed grassland on nutrient-poor sandy soils, mostly acid to neutral though sometimes calcareous, on plains, river terraces and cliffs through the lowlands and submontane belts of temperate Europe. Narrow-leaved, tussocky graminoids dominate, associated herbs can be numerous and more open swards can have rich annual and cryptogam floras. Across the wide range, there is considerable variety among the dominants and companions, and the extreme topoclimate can provide a western outpost for steppe elements.