MANUAL OF THE GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 



353 



lemma. Annuals or perennials, with erect culms, flat blades, and 

 dense, cylindric panicles. Type spe- 

 cies, Phleum pratense. Name from 

 Greek phleos, an old name for a 

 marsh reed. 



The common species, P. pratense, 

 or timothy, is our most important 

 hay grass. It is cultivated in the 

 humid regions, the Northeastern 

 States, south to the Cotton Belt, and 

 west to the 100th meridian, and also 

 in the humid region of Puget Sound 

 and in mountain districts. The na- 

 tive species, P. alpinum, alpine 

 timothy, furnishes forage in moun- 

 tain meadows of the Western States. 



Panicle cylindric, several times longer than 



wide 1. P. PRATENSE. 



Panicle ovoid or oblong, usually not more 



than twice as long as wide_ 



2. P. ALPINUM. 



1. Phleum pratense L. TIMOTHY. 

 (Fig. 728, A.) Culms 50 to 100 cm 



FIGURE 727. Distribution of 

 Lycurus phteoides. 



tall, from a swollen or bulblike base, 

 forming large clumps; blades elon- 

 gate, mostly 5 to 8 mm wide ; panicle 

 cylindric, commonly 5 to 10 cm long, 

 often longer, the spikelets crowded, 

 spreading; glumes about 3.5 mm 

 long, truncate with a stout awn 1 

 mm long, pectinate-ciliate on the 

 keel. Q|. Commonly escaped from 

 cultivation along roadsides and in 

 fields and waste places throughout 

 the United States; Eurasia. In some 

 localities known as herd's grass. 



2. Phleum alpinum L. ALPINE 

 TIMOTHY. (Fig. 728, B.) Culms 20 

 to 50 cm tall, from a decumbent, 

 somewhat creeping, densely tufted 

 base; blades mostly less than 10 cm 

 long, 4 to 6 mm wide; panicle 

 ellipsoid or short-cylindric, bristly; 

 glumes about 5 mm long, his;pid- 

 ciliate on the keel, the awns 2 mm 



FIGURE 726. Lycurus phleoides. Plant, X 

 glumes and floret, X 10. (Rydberg 2363, 

 Colo.) 



long. 21 Common in 



