Phleum

This article is about the genus of grasses. For the Roman site, see Flevum.

"Catstail" redirects here. Not to be confused with Cattail.

Phleum (common name timothy) is a genus of annual and perennial plants in the grass family.^[4] The genus is native to Europe, Asia and north Africa, with one species (P. alpinum) also in North and South America.^[5]

Phleum
Phleum pratense
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Subfamily:	Pooideae
Supertribe:	Poodae
Tribe:	Poeae
Subtribe:	Phleinae Dumort.
Genus:	Phleum L.
Type species
Phleum pratense L.[1][2]
Synonyms[3]
Stelephuros Adans. Plantinia Bubani Achnodonton P.Beauv. Chilochloa P.Beauv. Achnodon Link Maillea Parl. Pseudophleum Dogan

They are tufted grasses growing to 20–150 cm tall, with cylindrical, spike-like panicles containing many densely packed spikelets.^[6]

Species^[3][7][8][9]

• Phleum alpinum – subarctic and mountainous areas in Eurasia, the Americas, South Georgia, etc.
• Phleum arenarium – western + southern Europe; Mediterranean
• Phleum bertolonii - Europe, Middle East
• Phleum boissieri - southwest Asia
• Phleum × brueggeri - France, Switzerland
• Phleum crypsoides - Sardinia, Greece, Cyprus
• Phleum echinatum - Italy, Greece, Balkans, Crimea
• Phleum exaratum - from Italy to Uzbekistan
• Phleum gibbum - Turkey
• Phleum himalaicum - Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir
• Phleum hirsutum - central Europe, Balkans, Ukraine, Caucasus
• Phleum iranicum - Iran
• Phleum montanum - from Balkans to Iran
• Phleum paniculatum - from Spain to Japan
• Phleum phleoides – from Portugal + Morocco to eastern Siberia
• Phleum pratense – Timothy – from Portugal + Morocco to central Asia; naturalized in East Asia, the Americas, etc.
• Phleum subulatum - from Portugal to Pakistan
• Phleum × viniklarii - Dalmatia

Formerly included^[3]

Numerous species now considered better suited to other genera: Aegilops Alopecurus Beckmannia Crypsis Cynodon Cynosurus Digitaria Elytrophorus Ischaemum Mnesithea Muhlenbergia Pennisetum Pentameris Phalaris Polypogon Polytrias Sesleria Tribolium

Cultivation and uses

Several species are important for cattle feed and as hay for horses and other domestic animals.^[10]

References

1. lectotype designated by Hitchcock, Prop. Brit. Bot.: 119. 1929
2. "Tropicos - Name - Phleum L." www.tropicos.org.
3. "Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families". kew.org.
4. Linné, Carl von; Linné, Carl von; Salvius, Lars (1753). Caroli Linnaei ... Species plantarum :exhibentes plantas rite cognitas, ad genera relatas, cum differentiis specificis, nominibus trivialibus, synonymis selectis, locis natalibus, secundum systema sexuale digestas... Vol. 1. Holmiae: Impensis Laurentii Salvii.
5. "Species in GRIN for genus". www.ars-grin.gov. Archived from the original on 2008-10-11.
6. "Phleum in Flora of China @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
7. "Search results — The Plant List". www.theplantlist.org.
8. "Generi della flora italiana: Phleum". luirig.altervista.org. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
9. "Flora Europaea Search Results". rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
10. NRCS. "Phleum". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2018-10-15.