Plants → Magnoliophyta → Liliopsida → Poales → Poaceae Barnhart → Dactylis L. → Dactylis glomerata L.
Tufted perennial, grass-like or herb, 1.4 m high. Fl. purple, Jan to Mar. Sand.
Beard’s Provinces: South-West Province.
IBRA Regions: Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest, Swan Coastal Plain, Warren.
IBRA Subregions: Avon Wheatbelt P2, Dandaragan Plateau, Northern Jarrah Forest, Perth, Recherche, Southern Jarrah Forest, Warren.
IMCRA Regions: WA South Coast.
Local Government Areas (LGAs): Albany, Armadale, Augusta Margaret River, Busselton, Capel, Dardanup, Denmark, Esperance, Gingin, Mandurah, Manjimup, Nannup, Northam, Plantagenet.
Alternative Names. Cat grass, orchardgrass.
General Biology. Growth form. Grass. Life form. Perennial, caespitose. Reproduction. Seed, tillers. Dispersal. Planting (as fodder), mammals, slashing, occasionally water. Photosynthetic Pathway. C3. Toxicity. Severe allergen. Seedbank persistence. 1-4 years. Fire response. Survives and resprouts after moderate fires. Hot fire will damage root crowns and can kill adult plants.
Notes. Slow to establish and typically needs disturbance to invade natural systems. Once established plants are generally very persistent. Frost, drought and heat resistant. Highly shade tolerant. Can grow on slopes and on shallow dry soils. Dislikes excessive humidity. Thrives on slightly acid to alkaline soils. Germination can occur in either light or darkness, and is largely controlled by moisture availability. Maintains a green basal rosette through winter. Higher nutrient levels make it more competitive over native perennial grasses. Wide range of cultivars available.
Additional information. Origin. Europe, west Asia, North Africa. History of use/introduction. Planted as pasture, used in seed mixtures with other grasses and forbs, revegetation.
Suggested method of management and control. Cut out plants. Slash/burn clumps and spray regrowth with 1% glyphosate. Follow-up with seedling control over following years. Read the manufacturers' labels and material safety data sheets before using herbicides. For further information consult the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to determine the status of permits for your situation or state.
Calendar Type | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Active Growth | O | O | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Summer dormant in dry areas | ||||
Germination | O | Y | Y | ||||||||||
Flowering | Y | O | O | O | Y | Y | Y | Y | |||||
Fruiting | Y | Y | Y | ||||||||||
Optimum Treatment | Y | Y | Y |
Legend: Y = Yes, regularly, O = Occasionally, U = Uncertain, referred by others but not confirmed.
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Western Australian Herbarium (1998–). FloraBase—the Western Australian Flora. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/