Timothy-grass
Encyclopedia
Timothy-grass is an abundant perennial
grass
native to most of Europe
except for the Mediterranean region. It grows to 50–150 cm tall, with leaves
up to 45 cm long and 1 cm broad. The flower
head is 7–15 cm long and 8–10 mm broad, with densely packed spikelets. Timothy-grass can be confused with Meadow Foxtail
(Alopecurus pratensis) and Purple-stem Cat's-tail
(Phleum phleoides).
It is probably so named after Timothy Hanson, an American farmer said to have introduced it from New England to the southern states in the early 18th century.
:
by early settlers, and was first described in 1711 by John Hurd from plants growing in New Hampshire
. Hurd named the grass "hurd grass" but a farmer named Timothy Hanson began to promote cultivation of it as a hay about 1720, and the grass has been known by its present name since then. Timothy has now become naturalized throughout most of the US and Canada.
It is commonly grown for cattle
feed and, in particular, as hay
for horse
s. It is relatively high in fibre, especially when cut late. It is considered part of the standard mix for grass hay and provides quality nutrition for horses
. Timothy Hay is a staple food for domestic pet rabbit
s, guinea pig
s, chinchillas, and degu
s, often making up the bulk of their diet. The caterpillar
s of some Lepidoptera
use it as a foodplant, e.g. the Essex Skipper
(Thymelicus lineola). It also grows in roadsides and abandoned fields but generally requires nutrient-rich soils.
Its pollen
is a common allergen
; it has recently been used in small amounts as part of a new hay fever
vaccine Grazax, which is designed to recondition the body's immune system so it no longer responds to pollen
.
Plants persist through the winter. Dead, straw-colored flowering stems may persist, but only for a short time, and are recognized by the distinctive spike-like inflorescence
.
s, foxtail has a soft, single awn
.
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
grass
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
native to most of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
except for the Mediterranean region. It grows to 50–150 cm tall, with leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
up to 45 cm long and 1 cm broad. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
head is 7–15 cm long and 8–10 mm broad, with densely packed spikelets. Timothy-grass can be confused with Meadow Foxtail
Meadow Foxtail
Alopecurus pratensis, known as the Meadow Foxtail or the Field Meadow Foxtail, is a perennial grass, belonging to the grass family . It is native to Europe and Asia....
(Alopecurus pratensis) and Purple-stem Cat's-tail
Phleum phleoides
Phleum phleoides is a perennial grass native to most of Europe, North Africa, and temperate Asia. Culms are erect and 10–70 cm in height; leaf blades are 5–12 cm long by 1–3.5 mm wide.- References and external links :* * *...
(Phleum phleoides).
It is probably so named after Timothy Hanson, an American farmer said to have introduced it from New England to the southern states in the early 18th century.
Subspecies
There are two subspeciesSubspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
:
- Phleum pratense subsp. pratense. Larger, to 150 cm tall. Widespread.
- Phleum pratense subsp. bertolonii. Smaller, to 70 cm tall. CalcareousCalcareousCalcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
grassland.
Cultivation and uses
Timothy-grass was unintentionally introduced to North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
by early settlers, and was first described in 1711 by John Hurd from plants growing in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. Hurd named the grass "hurd grass" but a farmer named Timothy Hanson began to promote cultivation of it as a hay about 1720, and the grass has been known by its present name since then. Timothy has now become naturalized throughout most of the US and Canada.
It is commonly grown for cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
feed and, in particular, as hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
for horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s. It is relatively high in fibre, especially when cut late. It is considered part of the standard mix for grass hay and provides quality nutrition for horses
Equine nutrition
Equine nutrition is the feeding of horses, ponies, mules, donkeys, and other equines. Correct and balanced nutrition is a critical component of proper horse care....
. Timothy Hay is a staple food for domestic pet rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
s, guinea pig
Guinea pig
The guinea pig , also called the cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea...
s, chinchillas, and degu
Degu
The degu is a small caviomorph rodent that is endemic to central Chile.It is sometimes referred to as the brush-tailed rat, and is also called the common degu, to distinguish it from the other members of the genus Octodon. Other members are also called degus, but they are distinguished by...
s, often making up the bulk of their diet. The caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s of some Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
use it as a foodplant, e.g. the Essex Skipper
Essex Skipper
The Essex Skipper is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. In North America, it is known as the European Skipper....
(Thymelicus lineola). It also grows in roadsides and abandoned fields but generally requires nutrient-rich soils.
Its pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
is a common allergen
Allergen
An allergen is any substance that can cause an allergy. In technical terms, an allergen is a non-parasitic antigen capable of stimulating a type-I hypersensitivity reaction in atopic individuals....
; it has recently been used in small amounts as part of a new hay fever
Hay Fever
Hay Fever is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1924 and first produced in 1925 with Marie Tempest as the first Judith Bliss. Laura Hope Crews played the role in New York...
vaccine Grazax, which is designed to recondition the body's immune system so it no longer responds to pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
.
Plants persist through the winter. Dead, straw-colored flowering stems may persist, but only for a short time, and are recognized by the distinctive spike-like inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
.
Similarity to Other Species
It is usually confused with Meadow Foxtail Alopecurus pratensis. Timothy flowers later from June until August, whereas Meadow Foxtail flowers from April until June. The spikelets of Timothy are twin hornlike projections arranged in cylindrical paniclePanicle
A panicle is a compound raceme, a loose, much-branched indeterminate inflorescence with pedicellate flowers attached along the secondary branches; in other words, a branched cluster of flowers in which the branches are racemes....
s, foxtail has a soft, single awn
Awn
In botany, an awn is either a hair- or bristle-like appendage on a larger structure, or in the case of the Asteraceae, a stiff needle-like element of the pappus....
.