PHLEUM PRATENSE
30. Phleum pratense L. Timothy, Herd's grass.
A glabrous perennial with bulbous base, growing in more or less compact tufts; the most extensively cultivated of meadow grasses, escaping freely and becoming established in natural meadows and pastures, roadsides and waste places.
Leaves rolled in the bud-shoot. Sheath not compressed, glabrous, light green, sometimes purplish at base in young plants, split almost to base; margins hyaline and edges overlapping to near base. Auricles absent. Collar broad, distinct, glabrous, light green, continuous; margins sparsely retrorse-ciliate. Ligule membranous, white, 1.0 to 2.5 mm. long, obtuse to acute, with distinct notch at either side, otherwise entire or minutely toothed. Blade 4 to 12 mm. wide, 7 to 25 cm. long, flat, sharp-pointed, light green, glabrous; ridges on the upper surface low and rounded; under surface smooth, slightly keeled at base; margins scabrous, retrorsely so at the base.
Phleum pratense is sometimes confused with Agrostis alba but can be distinguished by its white and more opaque ligule with a notch at either side and without hairs on the back. The presence of cilia on the shoulder and less conspicuous ridging of the upper surface of the blade are also diagnostic.