Dactylis glomerata L.

Common name: Cocksfoot

This strongly tufted non-branching, erect grass grows to approximately 1m tall. It is a reasonably hardy, temperate perennial that thrives in well-drained medium to low soil fertility but will grow in rich fertile soil as well. It flowers from September through to May.

Currie and Porto are the two varieties grown in Australia.

Currie grows mostly in the autumn and spring time and can tolerate drier summers than Porto which needs more rain and as a rule grows better in summer.

They're a common weed along roadsides.

Distribution:

Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

Western Australia: Drummond, Dale, Menzies, Warren, Avon and Eyre. South Australia: Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island and South-eastern. Queensland: Moreton, Wide Bay and on Lord Howe Is.

New South Wales: Central Coast, South Coast, Northern Tablelands, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands, North-Western Slopes, South-Western Slopes. Victoria: Murray Mallee, Lowan Mallee, Wimmera, Wannon, Grampians, Riverina, Midlands, Victorian Volcanic Plain, Otway Plain, Otway Range, Eastern Highlands, Gippsland Plains, Gippsland Highlands, Wilsons Promontory, Snowfields, East Gippsland. Tasmania: King Island, Furneaux Group, North West, North East, West Coast, Central Highlands, Midlands, Ben Lomond, East Coast, South West, Mt Field, Mt Wellington including the Bass Strait islands, A.C.T.

Bibliography:

Hacker, J.B. and Tothill, J.C. (1983) The Grasses of Southern Queensland, University of Queensland Press, Queensland.

Simon, B.K. and Sharp, D. (2002) CD Ausgrass: grasses of Australia, Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra and Environmental protection Agency, Brisbane

http://www.tjt.com.au/tjt/facts.stm?facts_id=1