Open, thermophile vegetation of sands or rock debris in the nemoral zone and locally, in boreal or submediterranean lowland to montane areas of Europe. Included are open grasslands on strongly to slightly calcareous inland sands, and vegetation formed mostly by annuals and succulents or semisucculents on decomposed rock surfaces of edges, ledges or knolls, with calcareous or siliceous soils.
Open grasslands of strongly to slightly calcareous inland sands of Western Europe and of middle, western and northern Central Europe, locally to Slovakia, the Baltic States and Belarus, with Helichrysum arenarium, Silene otites, Silene chlorantha, Dianthus deltoides, Dianthus arenarius, Bromus tectorum, Cynodon dactylon, Gypsophila fastigiata ssp. arenaria, Astragalus arenarius, Androsace septentrionalis, Onosma arenaria, Jurinea cyanoides, Koeleria glauca, Koeleria macrantha, Festuca psammophila, Festuca polesica, Festuca duvalii, Poa bulbosa, Pannonic endemic Colchicum arenarium and the Brandenburg endemic Stipa borysthenica ssp. germanica, sometimes interspersed with annual formations with Cerastium semidecandrum, Vicia lathyroides, Silene conica, Phleum arenarium, Petrorhagia prolifera, Arenaria serpyllifolia, Sedum acre. Dunal equivalent formations are found in unit H5.