Smaller Cat's-tail

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: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Additional images

No additional images available for this species.

All NatureSpot records

Photo of the association

Ergot

Ergot (Claviceps purpurea) is a violet-black spindle-shaped structure longitudinally furrowed, up to 1cm long, and formed in the inflorescences of grasses. The fungal body is described as an ergot kernel.

Photo of the association

Choke

Epichloe typhina fungus galls the stems of various grasses, the gall often having a rather tubular appearance. It is white in the early stages, yellowing when mature. On various grasses including many of our most common species including Sweet Vernal-grass, False Oat-grass, Cock's-foot, Perennial Rye-grass, Wood Millet, Timothy and Rough Meadow-grass.