Practical
Plants

Dactylis glomerata

Cock's Foot

a perennial evergreen member of the Dactylis genus in the family Gramineae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Gramineae
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Height
1 m
Spread
0.25 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

This plant is an important cause of hayfever[7].

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Reported to be oestrogenic. the plant is a folk remedy for treating tumours, kidney and bladder ailments

Product or use
Miscellany

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Plants form impenetrably dense clumps and when planted close together in drifts make an excellent ground cover[5]. Having a deep root system, the plant is also useful for checking soil erosion[6]. The plant can be grown for biomass, annual productivity ranges from 2 to 37 tonnes per hectare[6]. If soil fertility is low, a large portion of the total production occurs in the spring, but if the soil is highly fertile, production is well distributed throughout the growing season[6].

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Soil surface

Ground cover

Earth stabiliser

Environment

Range
Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to N. Africa and temperate Asia.
Habitat
Meadows, waste places, by roads and on downs[4].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - surface sow in a cold frame in the spring and do not allow the compost to dry out[3]. Germination should take place within three weeks. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. There is between 725,000 and 1,450,000 seeds per kilo[6]. If you have sufficient seed it can be sown outdoors in situ in the spring. Division in spring[3]. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in most good soils and also under the shade of trees[1][2][3]. Prefers a light well-drained soil, it does not thrive on heavy or poorly drained soils[5]. Plants tolerate an annual precipitation in the range of 31 to 176cm, an annual temperature range of 4.3 to 23.8°C and a pH in the range of 4.5 to 8.2[6]. The plant is adapted to humid temperate climates. It grows on almost any type of soil, but thrives best on heavier types, such as clays and clay loams. A drought-resistant plant, it will withstand high temperatures. Prefers areas with 480-750 mm annual rainfall, but will produce on rather poor dry soils[6]. Plants are hardy in all parts of Britain, though they are less winter-hardy than Phleum pratense or Bromus inermis and do not extend as far north in Europe[6]. A very variable plant[1]. There are both diploid and triploid forms[7]. Numerous strains have been developed, some coarse and stemmy, others good for hay and early grazing. Local ecotypes in the Mediterranean region are adapted to long hot dry summers. In Europe two types have been developed, one for pasture and one for hay. Pasture types produce more basal leaves and generally are more spreading than the hay types. Selections made in Canada, Sweden and Finland are improved for winter hardiness. Improved strains are more leafy, persistent and later flowering than unimproved commercial types[6]. An important food plant for the caterpillars of several lepidoptera species[8]. The plant is occasionally grown for lawns and is particularly well adapted for growing under shade[6]. However, this species does not make a good lawn grass because it is too coarse[1].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  2. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

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  3. Grounds. R. Ornamental Grasses. Christopher Helm 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-7470-1219-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  4. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

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  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  6. Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - 1983-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9

  7. Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas Botanical Research Institute, Texas. 1999-00-00 http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm

    ↩1↩2

  8. Carter D. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan 1982-00-00 ISBN 0-330-26642-x

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