Phleum bertolonii
| Phleum bertolonii | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Pooideae |
| Genus: | Phleum |
| Species: | P. bertolonii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Phleum bertolonii | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Phleum bertolonii (smaller cat's-tail) is a species of perennial grass native to most of Europe, southwestern Asia, and northwestern Africa.[1][2] It is a member of the genus Phleum, which consists of 17 species of annual and perennial grasses.[3]
Description
Phleum bertolonii grows to 50 cm (20 in) tall, rarely 70 cm (28 in) tall, with leaves 2–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) broad. The leaves have short, narrow, acute-tipped ligules.[4][5]
The flowerhead is up to 8 cm (3 in) long and 3–7.5 mm (0.1–0.3 in) broad, with densely packed spikelets, the glumes with a 0.2–1.2 mm long awn. It flowers from June until August.[4][5]
It has often been confused with Timothy (Phleum pratense); this is most easily distinguished by its broad, blunt ligules, and is a much larger plant, growing to 150 cm, 2–3 times as tall as P. bertolonii and with flowerheads twice as long.[2][4][5]
Taxonomy
In the past, it was often considered a subspecies of Phleum pratense, as Phleum pratense subsp. bertolonii,[5] but is now generally considered to be a separate species.[1][2][4]
References
- ^ a b c "Phleum bertolonii DC". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
- ^ a b c "Smaller Cat's-tail Phleum bertolonii DC". PlantAtlas. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
- ^ "Phleum L." Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
- ^ a b c d Streeter, David (2010). Flower Guide. London: Collins. pp. 632–633. ISBN 978-0-00-718389-0.
- ^ a b c d Fitter, Richard Sidney Richmond; Fitter, Alastair (1984). Collins Guide to the Grasses, Sedges, Rushes, and Ferns of Britain and Northern Europe. London: Harpercollins Pub Limited. pp. 98–99. ISBN 0-00-219136-9.