Phleum

{{Short description|Genus of grasses}}

{{About|the genus of grasses|the Roman site|Flevum}}

{{Redirect-distinguish|Catstail|Cattail}}

{{Automatic taxobox

|image = Timothee_(Phleum_pratense_subsp._pratense).jpg

|image_upright = 0.8

|image_caption = Phleum pratense

|display_parents = 4

|parent_authority = Dumort.

|taxon = Phleum

|authority = L.

|type_species = Phleum pratense

|type_species_authority = L.lectotype designated by Hitchcock, Prop. Brit. Bot.: 119. 1929{{cite web|url=http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40006939|title=Tropicos - Name - Phleum L.|website=www.tropicos.org}}

|synonyms_ref = {{cite web|url=http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/synonomy.do?name_id=433709|title=Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families|website=kew.org}}

|synonyms =

• Stelephuros Adans.
• Plantinia Bubani
• Achnodonton P.Beauv.
• Chilochloa P.Beauv.
• Achnodon Link
• Maillea Parl.
• Pseudophleum Dogan

}}

Phleum (common name timothy) is a genus of annual and perennial plants in the grass family.{{Cite book |last=Linné |first=Carl von |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/358078#page/71/mode/1up |title=Caroli Linnaei ... Species plantarum :exhibentes plantas rite cognitas, ad genera relatas, cum differentiis specificis, nominibus trivialibus, synonymis selectis, locis natalibus, secundum systema sexuale digestas... |last2=Linné |first2=Carl von |last3=Salvius |first3=Lars |date=1753 |publisher=Impensis Laurentii Salvii |volume=1 |location=Holmiae}} The genus is native to Europe, Asia and north Africa, with one species (P. alpinum) also in North and South America.{{Cite web |date= |title=Species in GRIN for genus |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?9257 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011203441/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?9257 |archive-date=2008-10-11 |access-date= |website=www.ars-grin.gov}}

They are tufted grasses growing to 20–150 cm tall, with cylindrical, spike-like panicles containing many densely packed spikelets.{{Cite web|url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=125044|title=Phleum in Flora of China @ efloras.org|website=www.efloras.org|access-date=2018-10-15}}

; Species{{cite web|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/search?q=Phleum|title=Search results — The Plant List|website=www.theplantlist.org}}{{Cite web |title=Generi della flora italiana: Phleum |url=http://luirig.altervista.org/flora/taxa/flora.php?genere=Phleum |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=luirig.altervista.org}}{{Cite web|url=http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Phleum&SPECIES_XREF=&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK=|title=Flora Europaea Search Results|website=rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk|access-date=2018-10-15}}

{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em|

• 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

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