Dactylis glomerata | |
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Dactylis glomerata subsp. glomerata, Ireland | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Poales |
Family: | Poaceae |
Subfamily: | Pooideae |
Genus: | Dactylis |
Species: | D. glomerata |
Binomial name | |
Dactylis glomerata | |
Dactylis glomerata is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, known as cock's-foot, [1] also colloquially as orchard grass, or cat grass (due to its popularity for use with domestic cats). It is a cool-season perennial C3 tufted grass native throughout most of Europe, temperate Asia, and northern Africa. [2] [1] [3] [4] [5]
Dactylis glomerata occurs from sea level in the north of its range, to as high as 4,000 metres in altitude in the south of its range in Pakistan. [6] It is widely used for hay and forage. [5]
It is a principal species in the widespread National Vegetation Classification habitat community MG1 (Arrhenatherum elatius grassland) in the United Kingdom, and so can be found with Arrhenatherum elatius (false oat grass). [7]
It can be found in meadows, pasture, roadsides, and rough grassland.
It has been introduced into North America, New Zealand and Australia, and is now widely naturalised. [8] In some areas, it has become an invasive species.
Cock's-foot grows in dense perennial tussocks to 20–140 centimetres (7.9–55.1 in; 0.66–4.59 ft) tall, with grey-green leaves 20–50 centimetres (7.9–19.7 in; 0.66–1.64 ft) long and up to 1.5 centimetres (0.59 in) broad, and a distinctive tufted triangular flowerhead 10–50 centimetres (3.9–19.7 in; 0.33–1.64 ft) long, which may be either green or red- to purple-tinged (usually green in shade, redder in full sun), turning pale grey-brown at seed maturity. The spikelets are 5–9 millimetres (0.20–0.35 in) long, typically containing two to five flowers. It has a characteristic flattened stem base which distinguishes it from many other grasses. [1] [5]
It flowers from June to September. [9]
Dactylis glomerata is treated as the sole species in the genus Dactylis by some authors, [2] [3] while others include one to four other species. [10] It is commonly divided into several regional subspecies, particularly by those authors accepting only the single species: [2] [6] [10]
Dactylis glomerata subsp. glomerata and subsp. hispanica are tetraploid forms with 28 chromosomes; some of the other subspecies, including subsp. himalayensis and subsp. lobata are diploid, with 2n = 14. Hexaploid forms with 42 chromosomes are also known, but rare. [3] [11] Tetraploid forms are larger and coarser than diploid forms. [11]
Cock's-foot is widely used as a hay grass and for pastures because of its high yields and sugar content, which makes it sweeter than most other temperate grasses. In dry areas as in much of Australia, Mediterranean subspecies such as subsp. hispanica are preferred for their greater drought tolerance. [12] It requires careful grazing management; if it is undergrazed it becomes coarse and unpalatable.
In some areas to which it has been introduced, cock's-foot has become an invasive weed, notably some areas of the eastern United States. [10]
As with other grasses, the pollen can cause allergic rhinitis (hay fever) in some people.
The grass is popularly grown to satisfy the craving of domestic cats to chew grass, hence its colloquial name cat grass. [13]
The seeds were first collected by Rogers Parker in Hertfordshire; this was then developed by the agricultural reformer Coke of Norfolk. [14] Parker's estate, Munden, near Bricket Wood, was inherited by the botanist George Hibbert. [15]
The caterpillars of many butterfly species feed on cock's foot, including: [16]
Forage is a plant material eaten by grazing livestock. Historically, the term forage has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also used more loosely to include similar plants cut for fodder and carried to the animals, especially as hay or silage.
Dactylis is a genus of Eurasian and North African plants in the bluegrass subfamily within the grass family. Dactylis is native to North Africa, they are found throughout the world, and are an invasive species. They are known in English as cock's-foot or cocksfoot grasses, also sometimes as orchard grasses.
Elymus repens, commonly known as couch grass, is a very common perennial species of grass native to most of Europe, Asia, the Arctic, and northwest Africa. It has been brought into other mild northern climates for forage or erosion control, but is often considered a weed.
The small skipper is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae.
Thymelicus lineola, known in Europe as the Essex skipper and in North America as the European skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae.
The large skipper is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae.
Cat grass is any grass that is grown specifically for cats, usually indoors. It may be grown in a dish from which the cat chews the grass directly, or just added to cat food. The most common stated benefit is to aid the passing of hairballs. Although cats may display exuberant behaviour when confronted with the grass, it has no pharmaceutical influence.
Silene nutans is a flowering plant in the genus Silene, most commonly known as Nottingham catchfly.
Arrhenatherum elatius is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, commonly known as false oat-grass, and also bulbous oat grass, tall oat-grass, tall meadow oat, onion couch and tuber oat-grass. It is native throughout Europe, and also western and southwestern Asia, and northwestern Africa. This tufted grass is sometimes used as an ornamental grass and is sometimes marketed as "cat grass".
British NVC community MG1, Arrhenatherum elatius grassland, is one of the mesotrophic grassland communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system. This type of plant community was named in 1919 as Arrhenatheretum elatiorisBr.-Bl.. It is a very widespread community throughout the British lowlands of England, Wales and southern and eastern Scotland.
British NVC community MG2 is one of the mesotrophic grassland communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system.
British NVC community MG3 is one of the mesotrophic grassland communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system. It is one of four such communities associated with well-drained permanent pastures and meadows.
British NVC community MG4 is one of the mesotrophic grassland communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system. It is one of four such communities associated with well-drained permanent pastures and meadows.
Asplenium trichomanes, the maidenhair spleenwort, is a small fern in the spleenwort genus Asplenium. It is a widespread and common species, occurring almost worldwide in a variety of rocky habitats. It is a variable fern with several subspecies.
Coleophora galbulipennella is a moth of the family Coleophoridae or leaf miners. It is known from Europe, where it is found from Sweden to Spain, Italy and Greece and from Great Britain to southern Russia.
Asplenium septentrionale is a species of fern known by the common names northern spleenwort and forked spleenwort. It is native to Europe, Asia and western North America, where it grows on rocks. Its long, slender leaves give it a distinctive appearance. Three subspecies exist, corresponding to a tetraploid and a diploid cytotype and their triploid hybrid.
Pellaea glabella is a fern with the common name smooth cliffbrake. It was once regarded as a reduced form or variety of Pellaea atropurpurea. P. glabella is known to exist in two cryptic species, one diploid and one tetraploid. The diploid reproduces sexually, while the tetraploid is normally apogamous. It is now known that the tetraploid form of the species is one of the parents of the original hybrid P. × atropurpurea that became the apogamous species.
British NVC community OV23 is one of the open habitat communities in the British National Vegetation Classification system. It is one of six communities characteristic of gateways, tracksides and courtyards.
Alloteropsis semialata, known commonly as black seed grass, cockatoo grass, donkersaad gras, swartsaadgras, tweevingergras, and isi quinti, is a perennial grass distributed across much of tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Australia, as well as Papuasia and Madagascar. The genus name Allopteropsis comes from the Greek words "allotrios", meaning "belonging to another", and "opsis", meaning appearance. The specific epithet semialata comes from the Latin "semi" (half) and "ala" (wing), referring to the winged margins of the upper glume.
Dudleya cymosasubsp. pumila, most commonly known as the low canyon dudleya, chalky canyon dudleya or California live-forever, is a species of perennial succulent plant. It has diamond to spoon shaped leaves, sometimes coated with a fine white powder, and in May through July, bright red, orange or yellow flowers adorn the short inflorescence. A leaf succulent primarily found growing in rocky cliffs and slopes, it is endemic to California, and grows in the Transverse Ranges and South Coast Ranges, with some outlying populations. A variable plant, in some localities it is difficult to distinguish from other plants in the genus.