Phleum pratense (Timothy)

Phleum pratense L.

Timothy

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Liliopsida	Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family
Subclass	Commelinidae	Dayflowers and spiderworts, and several others
Order	Cyperales	Flowering plants including grasses
Family	Poaceae	Grasses (but not sedges or rushes)
Genus	Phleum	From ancient Greek phleos, for a type of swamp-growing grass
Species	pratense	“Growing in meadows”

About plant names...

Timothy is a grass native to Europe, now abundant throughout North America. It came to North America on the heels of early settlers and was first described here in 1711. Timothy Hanson promoted its use as hay in 1720, his first name becoming its common name. It is widely used for this purpose now, typically mixed with alfalfa for better nutritional balance. Some people are allergic to the pollen, which is released in prodigious quantities during the first half of summer.

Identification: Plants grow 20-59" (50-150 cm) high. Leaves are up to 18" (45 cm) × ⅜" (1 cm), and are dull green to grayish-blue. The seedhead is pale gray-green, unbranched and cylindrical, about 2½-7" (7-17 cm) × ¼-⅜" (8-10 mm). The narrow, neat seedheads are the most distinguishing feature. They become light brown in the fall.

Online References:

Phleum pratense on Wikipedia

Phleum pratense on

Phleum pratense at Illinois Wildflowers

Phleum pratense on hort.purdue.edu

Phleum pratense on Calflora

Phleum pratense on the USDA Plants Database

References:

Knobel, Edward, The Grasses, Sedges and Rushes of the United States, Bradlee Whidden, 1899, p. 7