Cae Cwm-bach

Also within

Powys County

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Description

Description The site consists of a single meadow normally grazed by sheep in the spring and then put up for hay and cut in late July or August. It is one of a nationally important series displaying the range of seminatural neutral grasslands occuring in Britain. The meadow lies on a gentle north-east facing slope above the River Wye. The grassland of fescues, bent and vernal-grass Festuca/Agrostis/Anthoxanthum is very herb-rich with eyebright Euphrasia officinalis, bulbous buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus, ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata and bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta abundant. Typical western hay meadow species such as globeflower Trollius europaeus, wood anemone Anemone nemorosa and twayblade Neottia ovata are also present. Towards the south-western and southern sides are small mounds of somewhat different botanical composition, with fewer grass species but an abundance of herbs such as pignut Conopodium majus, common sorrel Rumex acetosa, yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor and betony Betonica officinalis. Also present are, great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis, common bistort Polygonum bistorta, and the very characteristic regional plant, wood bitter-vetch Vicia orobus, in some quantity. This site is an excellent example of the mid-wales hay meadows of the wood bitter-vetch/globeflower type, but appears to lack a few of the species such as greater butterfly-orchid Platanthera chlorantha and quaking-grass Briza media, which occur in other examples of this grassland type in this part of mid-Wales.

Species mentioned

Plant communities