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orchardgrass

Scientific Name: Dactylis glomerata ssp. glomerata

Family: Poaceae

Category: Monocot

Growth: Graminoid

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.)

Orchardgrass, also known as cock's-foot or cocksfoot, is a widely cultivated grass species used for forage and hay. This perennial bunchgrass is valued for its adaptability and nutritional qualities.

Considerations for Pets

  • Oxbow Orchard Grass Hay is marketed as a palatable food for small animals.
  • The text mentions orchardgrass seeds used in wildlife food plots for animals like deer, turkey, and quail.

Considerations for Children

  • The grass grows in clumps or tufts.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Dactylis glomerata L.
  • Common Names: Orchardgrass, Cock's-foot, Cocksfoot
  • Genus: Dactylis (belongs to a genus of Eurasian and North African plants)
  • Family: Grass family
  • Subfamily: Bluegrass subfamily

Distribution and Habitat

  • Found throughout California (except deserts) up to approximately 8200 feet (2500 m).
  • Distributed through much of the northeastern US.
  • Adapted throughout Mississippi.
  • Introduced into the US from Great Britain.

Ecological Role

  • Can be a contaminant in commercial tall fescue seed.
  • Considered a restricted noxious weed for lawn/turf seed in some regions.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • Perennial, cool-season, tall-growing bunchgrass.
  • Grows in clumps, producing an open sod.
  • Does not have rhizomes or stolons.
  • Starts growth early in spring and flowers in May (under Pennsylvania conditions).
  • Characterized by flattened leaf sheaths, tall membranous ligules, absent auricles, and blue-green blades.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • Used as forage for a wide variety of livestock, including cattle, sheep, goats, and horses.
  • Can be used in wildlife food plots for deer, turkey, and quail.
  • Often grown with alfalfa as a companion crop.

Quirky Facts

  • Oxbow Orchard Grass Hay has a green, fruity smell.

Resources and Further Information

  • FS 261. June 1981 Growing Orchardgrass for Forage.
  • Oregon Cover Crop and Forage Seed