Dactylis

Dactylis is a genus of Eurasian and North African plants in the bluegrass subfamily within the grass family.[3][4] They are known in English as cock’s-foot or cocksfoot grasses, also sometimes as orchard grasses.

The genus has been treated as containing only a single species Dactylis glomerata by many authors, treating variation in the genus at only subspecific rank within D. glomerata,[5][6][7] but more recently, there has been a trend to accept two species,[8] while some authors accept even more species in the genus, particularly island endemic species in Macaronesia.[9][10][11][12]

Dactylis species are perennial grasses, forming dense tussocks growing to 15–140 centimetres tall, with leaves 20–50 cm long and up to 1.5 cm broad, and distinctive tufted triangular flowerheads comprising a panicle 10–15 cm long, turning pale grey-brown at seed maturity. The spikelets are 5–9 mm long, typically containing two to five flowers. The stems have a flattened base, which distinguishes them from many other grasses.[6][13][14][15]