Dactylis is a genus of Eurasian and North African plants in the bluegrass subfamily within the grass family. Dactylis is native to North Africa, they are found throughout the world, and are an invasive species. They are known in English as cock's-foot or cocksfoot grasses, also sometimes as orchard grasses.
Taxonomy
The genus has been treated as containing only a single species Dactylis glomerata by many authors, treating variation in the genus at only subspecific rank within D. glomerata, but more recently, there has been a trend to accept two species, while some authors accept even more species in the genus, particularly island endemic species in Macaronesia.
Two species are currently accepted.
Dactylis glomerata L. – Eurasia and North Africa; naturalized in southern Africa, Australia, the Americas, and various oceanic islands
Dactylis smithii Link – Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira
Many species now considered better suited to other genera: Aeluropus, Ammochloa, Cutandia, Desmostachya, Dinebra, Elytrophorus, Eragrostis, Festuca, Koeleria, Odyssea, Poa, Rostraria, Schismus, Spartina, Tribolium, Trisetaria, and Wangenheimia.
Dactylis fasciculata Lam. – now Spartina alterniflora
Dactylis maritima Walter – now Spartina alterniflora
