orchard grass

plant

Also known as: Dactylis glomerata, cocksfoot grass

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Also called:: cocksfoot grass

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orchard grass, (Dactylis glomerata), perennial pasture, hay, and forage grass of the family Poaceae. Orchard grass is native to temperate Eurasia and North Africa and is widely cultivated throughout the world. It has naturalized in many places and is considered an invasive species in some areas outside its native range.

Orchard grass grows in dense clusters, or tussocks, about 0.6 to 1 metre (2 to 3.3 feet) tall. It has flat leaf blades that can reach up to 50 cm (20 inches) in length. The wind-pollinated flowers are borne in open irregular stiff-branched panicles (flower clusters); the pollen can cause hay fever in some people.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.