Dactylis glomerata L., Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate, score: 2 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: ya mao

English: barnyard grass, cocksfoot, cockspur, orchard grass

French: dactyle aggloméré, dactyle pelotonné, dactyle vulgaire, gramen pelotonné

Spanish: jopillo

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Tufted perennials; culms 15-140 cm tall, erect or spreading, slender to stout, the vegetative shoots strongly compressed.  Sheaths strongly compressed and keeled; ligule oblong-ovate, 4-8 mm long, fimbriate-lacerate; blades 10-45 cm long, 2-14 mm wide, folded, glabrous.  Inflorescences paniculate, oblong to ovate, 2-30 cm long, the branches closely spaced, usually the lower ones distant and without spikelets; spikelets oblong or cuneate, 5-9 mm long, aggregated in compact fascicles; glumes lanceolate to ovate, 3-6 mm long, 1-nerved, keel ciliate, first glume 2-6 mm long, second glume 3-7 mm long; lemmas lanceolate to oblong in side view, 4-7 mm long, keel ciliate or scabrous, apex with a rigid awn up to 1.5 mm long, palea lanceolate.  Caryopsis loosely enclosed by lemma and palea, ellipsoid to lanceoloid-ellipsoid, ca. 3 mm long"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1521).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  "Grass- and heathland, forests, riparian habitats, freshwater wetlands, coastal areas.  In the native range, this grass is found in meadows, pastures, sand dunes and disturbed sites.  The grass establishes in disturbed sites and forms dense swards that suppress native grasses and forbs"  (Weber, 2003; p. 136).

In Hawai‘i, "naturalized and abundant in pastures and along trails and roadsides, 100-2,290 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1521).  "In Chile this species grows in the following environmental conditions:  Low altitude, interior valleys; coastal mountains, 500-2000 m; coastal areas, 0-500 m.  Somewhat dry areas where the drought may last 3 - 5 months, precipitations of 400-800 mm. are concentrated in winter.  Fully exposed to the sun, level areas or slopes facing north"  (Chileflora).

Propagation:  Seed.  "Seed production is usually high, and seeds are dispersed by wind, water and by adhering to animals"  (Weber, 2003; p. 136).

Native range:  Europe, now widely cultivated and naturalized (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1521). Europe, north Africa (including the Madeira Islands), western and central Asia; cultivated and naturalized elsewhere (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced	Pickard, J. (1984) (p. 205)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 22) "A coarse pasture grass introduced for fodder". Vouchers cited: A.C. Beauglehole 5418 (CANB, MEL), L.M. Bingley 20 (K)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 12) "A coarse pasture grass introduced for fodder". Voucher cited: P.H. Metcalfe (NSW)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 553)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1521) Voucher cited: Rock 3212 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1521)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced	Wester, Lyndon (1992) (p. 120)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim (2011) (p. 33) East Maui. Voucher cited: Starr & Starr 090628-02 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1521)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1521)
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Kermadec Islands	introduced invasive	Edgar, E./Connor, H. (2000) (p. 95)
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Raoul Island	introduced invasive	Sykes, W. R. (1977) (p. 165)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) Naturalised
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia Naturalised
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) Naturalised
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
China China	China (People's Republic of)		Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Mountain slopes, light forest shade, other grassy places; 1400-3600 m.
Japan Japan	Japan		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 119)
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 192)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Owen, S. J. (1997)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive cultivated	Edgar, E./Connor, H. (2000) (p. 95) "Lowland in waste ground, pasture, gardens and dune hollows, to subalpine in short tussock grassland and scrub".
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Chile (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Belov, Michail (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 119)
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island		Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Mountain slopes, light forest shade, other grassy places; 1400-3600 m.
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced cultivated	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced invasive	Lavergne, Christophe (2006) "Naturalisé"
Mascarene Islands Mascarene Islands (Mauritius, La Reunion, Rodrigues)	Mascarene Islands	introduced	Weber, Ewald (2003) (p. 136)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia Naturalized

Control: 

Physical:  "Plants can be dug out, the crown must be removed to prevent regrowth.  Larger stands are cut before flowering commences.  Follow-up programmes are necesar to treat seedlings"  (Weber, 2003; p. 136).