Communities of shady, cool, often moist rockfaces of the Alps and neighbouring regions, of the Carpathians, of the Jura, the Hercynian ranges, the British Isles, with many ferns, including Cystopteris fragilis, Cystopteris regia, Asplenium viride, Asplenium scolopendrium, Asplenium trichomanes, and with Carex brachystachys.