Caeau Cwm-Ffrwd
Also within
Description
Description This site comprises a series of small fields situated on gently sloping ground at the head of a west-facing valley near Llandinam. They support a type of species-rich plant community typical of traditionally managed hay meadows associated with the free draining neutral soils of the upland fringe. Such meadows are now rare in mid- Wales as a result of agricultural intensification. Much of the sward is dominated by common bent Agrostis capillaris, sweet vernal-grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, crested dogs-tail Cynosurus cristatus and red fescue Festuca rubra, with frequent common knapweed Centaurea nigra, eyebright Euphrasia officinalis, autumn hawkbit Scorzoneroides autumnalis, common birds-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus, ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata, meadow buttercup Ranunculus acris, bulbous buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus, common sorrel Rumex acetosella and red clover Trifolium pratense. Other associated species include perennial rye-grass Lolium perenne, pignut Conopodium majus, heath spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza maculata subsp. Ericetorum, oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, rough hawkbit Leontodon hispidus, yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor and tufted vetch Vicia cracca. Near the farm buildings nutrient enrichment and poaching has occurred. The sward here is characterised by an abundance of perennial rye-grass and crested dogs-tail, along with species such as creeping buttercup Ranunculus repens and white clover Trifolium repens.