Dactylis glomerata - Cock's Foot

Family:	Gramineae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	1
Width:	0.25
Synonyms:
Range:	Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to N. Africa and temperate Asia.

Dactylis glomerata (Cock's Foot) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 1m and a width of 0.25m . It has a hardness rating of 5.
Cock's Foot will flower in November to February. the seeds ripen from January to March
The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Wind

Soil Information

Cock's Foot will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is / is important for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Cock's Foot prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Cock's Foot can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

Meadows and waste places[17].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Works within dappled Shade
• Grows in a shady edge
• Can spread to cover ground and will out compete weeds
• Planted in the lawn
• Suits a meadow

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in most good soils and also under the shade of trees[1, 115, 162]. Prefers a light well-drained soil, it does not thrive on heavy or poorly drained soils[200]. 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[269]. 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[269]. 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[269]. A very variable plant[1]. There are both diploid and triploid forms[274]. 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[269]. An important food plant for the caterpillars of several lepidoptera species[30]. The plant is occasionally grown for lawns and is particularly well adapted for growing under shade[269]. However, this species does not make a good lawn grass because it is too coarse[1].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 0/5
None known

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
Reported to be oestrogenic. the plant is a folk remedy for treating tumours, kidney and bladder ailments

• Miscellany - Various medicinal actions that need more clarification.

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in a cold frame in the spring and do not allow the compost to dry out[162]. 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[269]. If you have sufficient seed it can be sown outdoors in situ in the spring. Division in spring[162]. 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.

Known Hazards

This plant is an important cause of hayfever[274].

Other Uses

Plants form impenetrably dense clumps and when planted close together in drifts make an excellent ground cover[200]. Having a deep root system, the plant is also useful for checking soil erosion[269]. The plant can be grown for biomass, annual productivity ranges from 2 to 37 tonnes per hectare[269]. 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[269].

• Ground cover - Usually low growing plants that can be grown with other plants, especially shrubs and trees, to prevent the growth of weeds.
• Soil stabilization - Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Flora of the British Isles.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Author: Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Rating:
Publisher : A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Date of Publication : 1962

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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