Plants in Sweden: Cock's-foot

Dactylis glomerata, SE: Hundäxing, DE: Gewöhnliche Knäuelgras,
Wiesen-Knäuelgras, Käauelgras, NL: Kropaar, UK: Cock's-foot, orchard grass


Scientific name:		Dactylis glomerata L.
Swedish name:		Hundäxing
German name:		Gewöhnliche Knäuelgras, Wiesen-Knäuelgras, Käauelgras
Nederlandse naam:		Kropaar
English name:		Cock's-foot, Orchard Grass, Cat Grass
Plant Family:		Poaceae / Gramineae, grasses, Gräs


Life form:		Evergreen Perennial
Stems:		Flattened, either erect or bend abruptly at the base
Leaves:		V-shaped and folded in the bud, grey-green 20–50 cm long and up to 1.5 cm broad
Flowers:		Inflorescence a panicle; Hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs), pollinated by Wind
Flowering Period:		Tufted triangular flowerhead 10–15 cm 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; Spikelets 5-9 mm long, each containing about 4 flowers
Habitat:		Forest, thicket, pasture, meadows, farmland, settlements

Derivation of the botanical name:
Dactylis, from Greek dactylos, δακτυλοϛ, finger, toe; of uncertain application here
glomerata, to gather into a ball, form into a round heap; clustered.

The standard author abbreviation L. is used to indicate Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, the father of modern taxonomy.