page_title: Timothy-grass
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Timothy-grass / Description
caption_attribution_description: Phleum pratense. Deutsch: Wiesen-Lieschgras. Phleum Böhmeri Wibel. A blühende Pflanze; B Rispe, beim Biegen lappig; 1 Teil der Blütenrispe; 2 Deckspelze. 1 und 2 vergrössert. Phleum pratense L. C blühende Pflanze; 3 Ährchen; 4 Hüllspelzen&#160;; 5 Ährchen mit Same; 7 Same. 1 bis 7 vergrössert. Русский: Тимофеевка луговая. Растение вида Phleum Böhmeri Wibel.: A — цветущее растение; B — метёлка (султан), при её сгибании видны лопасти; 1 — часть соцветия; 2 — цветковая чешуя. Растение вида Phleum pratense L.: C — цветущее растение; 3 — колосок; 4 — колосковые чешуи; 5 — колосок с плодом (зерновкой); 7 — зерновка.
context_page_description: Timothy grass is an abundant perennial grass native to most of Europe except for the Mediterranean region. It is also known simply as timothy, meadow cat's-tail or common cat's tail. It is a member of the genus Phleum, consisting of about 15 species of annual and perennial grasses.
  It is probably named after Timothy Hanson, an American farmer and agriculturalist said to have introduced it from New England to the southern states in the early 18th century. Upon his recommendation it became a major source of hay and cattle fodder to British farmers in the mid-18th century.
  Timothy grass can be confused with meadow foxtail or purple-stem cat's-tail.
context_section_description: It grows to 48–150 cm (19–59 in) tall, with leaves up to 43 centimetres (17 in) long and 1.3 centimetres (.5 in) broad. The leaves are hairless, rolled rather than folded, and the lower sheaths turn dark brown.
  It has no stolons or rhizomes, and no auricles.
  The flowerhead is 70–152 mm (2.75–6 in) long and 6.4–12.7 mm (.25–.5 in) broad, with densely packed spikelets. It flowers from June until September. The stamen are pink.
  The ligule is short and blunt.
  It grows well in heavy soil, and is noted for its resistance to cold and drought, and thus ability to grow in dry upland or poor sandy soils. In pasture it tends to be overwhelmed by more competitive grasses. After cutting it grows slowly.
caption: Showing bulbous base and brown leaf sheaths
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