Watt - The biology of Holcus lanatus - 1978
INTRODUCTION
Holcus lanatus L., in Britain named Yorkshire Fog and in the USA Velvetgrass, is a grass of European origin now widely distributed throughout the world. It is common near the seas as well as inland and often abundant in meadows, pastures, rough grassland and waste ground in temperate regions. It is a tufted, softly hairy perennial (Hubbard, 1968) which is competitive in grassland and can tolerate a wide range of edaphic factors.
A recent census of the grassland of England and Wales showed that 4.2 million ha (71%) were more than six years old or classed as permanent (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 1973). Holcus lanatus is an important constituent of old swards and therefore makes a consider able contribution to fodder production in England and Wales.
It has been regarded as a weed in lowland ryegrass swards because it is unpalatable to grazing animals when it begins to flower in summer (Garner, 1963) but recent experimental work (Moloney, 1962, 1963, 1964; Murphy, 1965; Haggar et al. in press) has contradicted this view. On hill land it has usually been classified as a useful species.
The biology of H. lanatus has been covered in a detailed review by Beddows (1961). The present review therefore updates that information and attempts to assess its status in agricultural production.
