4:2 



spike-like cylindrical panicle; outer glumes one-nerved, mucronate or 

 short awned ; flowering glnme membranaceous, shorter and broader 

 than the outer glumes, in our native species truncate and toothed at 

 the apex ; palet hyaline, narrow. In some species there is a small 

 rudiment or bristle below the flower. 



1. P. alpinum, Linn. Mountain Timothy. Mountains of New 



England arid .Rocky Mountains. 

 In Montana it grows plentifully at altitudes of 5,000 to 8,000 feet, 

 where it is often called " Native Timothy." Probably in mountain- 

 ous situations it may become by cultivation as valuable as the next 

 species. 



2. P. pratense, Linn. Timothy. Extensively cultivated. 



This is one of the commonest and best-known grasses. For a hay 

 crop it is, perhaps, the most valuable, especially in the Northern 

 States. The height of the grass depends on the soil and cultiva- 

 tion. In poor ground it may be reduced to 1 foot, while in good 

 soil and with good culture it readily attains 3 feet, and occasionally 

 has been found twice that height. It is a perennial grass with fi- 

 brous roots. The base of the culm is sometimes thickened and in- 

 clined to be bulbous. The culm is erect and firm, with four or five 

 leaves, which are erect and usually from 4r to 6 inches long. The 

 flower spike varies from 2 to 6 inches in length, is cylindrical and 

 very densely flowered. The spikelets are sessile, single-flowered, 

 and cylindrical or oblong in outline. The outer glumes are rather 

 wedge-form, with a mucronate point or short bristle. The main 

 nerve on the back is fringed with a few short hairs. The flowering 

 glume is shorter than the outer ones and thinner, five-nerved, and 

 toothed at the apex. The palet is thinner in texture and much 

 narrower. 



This grass, as known in cultivation, is supposed to have been intro- 

 duced from Europe, but it appears to be indigenous in the mountain 

 regions of New England, New York, and the Rocky Mountains. It 

 is said that about the year 1711 a Mr. Herd found this grass in a 

 swamp in New Hampshire and cultivated it. From him it took the 

 name of Herd's grass. About the year 1720 it was brought to 

 Maryland by Timothy Hanson and received the name of Timothy 

 grass. Jt is now the favorite and prevailing meadow grass over a 

 large part of the country. 



