Smaller Cat's-tail - Phleum bertolonii

Description

Stems only reaching 10 to 50 cm and the cylindrical panicles only 1 to 6 cm long. It has a corm like root.

Similar Species

Timothy

Identification difficulty
ID checklist (your specimen should have all of these features)

Separation of this species from Timothy (Phleum pratense) is difficult and depends on detailed measurements of spikelets, awns and panicles

Recording advice

The County Recorder has asked for a specimen of this plant to be retained for verification

Habitat

Usually in more mature grassland, sometimes on roadside verges.

When to see it

June to August.

Life History

Perennial.

UK Status

Common throughout much of Britain except the far north.

VC55 Status

Common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 518 of the 617 tetrads.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Smaller Cat's-tail
Species group:
Grasses, Rushes & Sedges
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Poales
Family:
Poaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
31
First record:
22/06/2008 (Calow, Graham)
Last record:
28/06/2023 (lemmon, roy)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

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