Dactylis glomerata
Cock's Foot

Uses

Toxic parts

This plant is an important cause of hayfever^[1].

Edible uses

There are no edible uses listed for Dactylis glomerata.

Material uses

Plants form impenetrably dense clumps and when planted close together in drifts make an excellent ground cover^[2].

Having a deep root system, the plant is also useful for checking soil erosion^[3].

The plant can be grown for biomass, annual productivity ranges from 2 to 37 tonnes per hectare^[3]. 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^[3].

There are no material uses listed for Dactylis glomerata.

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

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

Unknown part

Miscellany

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Soil surface

Ecological Functions

Ground cover

Earth stabiliser

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in a cold frame in the spring and do not allow the compost to dry out^[4]. 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^[3]. If you have sufficient seed it can be sown outdoors in situ in the spring.

Division in spring^[4]. 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.

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Dactylis glomerata. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.

Cultivation

Succeeds in most good soils and also under the shade of trees^[5]^[6]^[4]. Prefers a light well-drained soil, it does not thrive on heavy or poorly drained soils^[2]. 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^[3]. 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^[3].

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^[3]. A very variable plant^[5]. There are both diploid and triploid forms^[1]. 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^[3]. An important food plant for the caterpillars of several lepidoptera species^[7].

The plant is occasionally grown for lawns and is particularly well adapted for growing under shade^[3]. However, this species does not make a good lawn grass because it is too coarse^[5].

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Dactylis glomerata. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Dactylis glomerata.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

References

? ^1.0^1.1 Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J [Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas] Botanical Research Institute, Texas. (1999-00-00)
? ^2.0^2.1^2.2^2.3 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
? ^3.0^3.1^3.2^3.3^3.4^3.5^3.6^3.7^3.8^3.9 Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - (1983-00-00)
? ^4.0^4.1^4.2 Grounds. R. Ornamental Grasses. Christopher Helm ISBN 0-7470-1219-9 (1989-00-00)
? ^5.0^5.1^5.2 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)
? Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. ()
? Carter D. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan ISBN 0-330-26642-x (1982-00-00)
? Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press (1962-00-00)

"image:Illustration Dactylis glomerata0.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.

[PFAFimport-274-1] ? ^1.0^1.1 Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J [Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas] Botanical Research Institute, Texas. (1999-00-00)

[PFAFimport-200-2] ? ^2.0^2.1^2.2^2.3 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)

[PFAFimport-269-3] ? ^3.0^3.1^3.2^3.3^3.4^3.5^3.6^3.7^3.8^3.9 Duke. J. Handbook of Energy Crops - (1983-00-00)

[PFAFimport-162-4] ? ^4.0^4.1^4.2 Grounds. R. Ornamental Grasses. Christopher Helm ISBN 0-7470-1219-9 (1989-00-00)

[PFAFimport-1-5] ? ^5.0^5.1^5.2 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)

[PFAFimport-115-6] ? Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. ()

[PFAFimport-30-7] ? Carter D. Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe. Pan ISBN 0-330-26642-x (1982-00-00)

[PFAFimport-17-8] ? Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press (1962-00-00)

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Article is incomplete	Yes +
Article requires citations	No +
Article requires cleanup	Yes +
Belongs to family	Gramineae +
Belongs to genus	Dactylis +
Functions as	Ground cover + and Earth stabiliser +
Has common name	Cock's Foot +
Has drought tolerance	Tolerant +
Has environmental tolerance	Drought +
Has fertility type	Wind +
Has flowers of type	Hermaphrodite +
Has hardiness zone	5 +
Has image	Illustration Dactylis glomerata0.jpg +
Has lifecycle type	Perennial +
Has mature height	1 +
Has mature width	0.25 +
Has medicinal part	Unknown part +
Has medicinal use	Miscellany +
Has primary image	Illustration Dactylis glomerata0.jpg +
Has search name	dactylis glomerata + and x +
Has shade tolerance	Light shade +
Has soil ph preference	Very acid +, Acid +, Neutral +, Alkaline + and Very alkaline +
Has soil teclayture preference	Clay +
Has soil teheavy clayture preference	Heavy clay +
Has soil teloamyture preference	Loamy +
Has soil tesandyture preference	Sandy +
Has soil water retention preference	Well drained +
Has sun preference	Full sun +
Has taxonomy name	Dactylis glomerata +
Has water requirements	moderate +
Inhabits ecosystem niche	Soil surface +
Is deciduous or evergreen	Evergreen +
Is taxonomy type	Species +
Tolerates nutritionally poor soil	No +
Uses mature size measurement unit	Meters +