Dactylis glomerata aka Slender Cock's Foot

Dactylis glomerata, also known as cock's-foot, orchard grass, or cat grass, is a cool-season perennial C3 bunchgrass that can grow up to 6 feet high. It is native to Europe, temperate Asia, and northern Africa, but has been introduced throughout most of the cool-temperate regions of the world as a forage grass in pastures and for hay and silage production. Cocksfoot is an important pasture grass in Australia, New Zealand, and worldwide, and is made up of several subspecies which are classified according to chromosome number, area of origin, seasonal growth pattern, and morphological characteristics. While it does not contain animal toxins, cocksfoot is variably less digestible than ryegrass and can be affected by rust and grass grub in some situations. The older cultivars of cocksfoot originated in northern Europe and were suited to the higher-rainfall, cooler southern parts of Australia, often where the soils had low water-holding capacities. However, since the 1950s, there has been greater interest in cultivars that incorporate a higher degree of winter growth, a characteristic of the Mediterranean accessions. These new cultivars, such as Porto and Currie, have greater drought tolerance and a growth pattern better adapted to the Australian temperate climate. Current improvement programmes and priorities for future research in the temperate Australian states and New Zealand are outlined. Dactylis glomerata can be found in meadows, pasture, roadsides, and rough grassland. Its popularity as cat grass has also earned it a nickname, but it remains an important species for livestock forage worldwide.