Dactylis glomerata

Species of grass
the album by Candlemass

Dactylis glomerata is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, commonly known as cock's foot, orchard grass, or cat grass (due to its popularity for use with domestic cats). It is a cool season perennial C3 bunchgrass native throughout most of Europe, temperate Asia, and northern Africa.

Dactylis glomerata occurs from sea level in the north of its range, to as high as 4,000 meters in altitude in the south of its range in Pakistan. It is widely used for hay and forage. 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. In some areas, it has become an invasive species.

Cock's foot grows in dense perennial tussocks to tall, with grey green leaves long and up to broad, and a distinctive tufted triangular flowerhead 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 long, typically containing two to five flowers. It has a characteristic flattened stem base which distinguishes it from many other grasses.

Dactylis glomerata is treated as the sole species in the genus Dactylis by some authors, It is commonly divided into several regional subspecies, particularly by those authors accepting only the single species: Tetraploid forms are larger and coarser than diploid forms. 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. The seeds were first collected by Rogers Parker in Hertfordshire; this was then developed by the agricultural reformer Coke of Norfolk. Parker's estate, Munden, near Bricket Wood, was inherited by the botanist George Hibbert.