Boehmer's Cat's Tail

Perennial, densely tufted. Culms erect or often geniculate at base, 15–75 cm tall, 2–4-noded. Leaf sheaths smooth, loose; leaf blades 2–20 cm, 1–5 mm wide, the upper shorter than the lower, adaxial surface and margins scabrid, apex acuminate; ligule 1–3 mm, obtuse. Panicle narrowly cylindrical, gradually tapering to apex, 2.5–10 × 0.4–0.7 cm, gray-green; branches free from central axis. Spikelets oblong, 2–3 mm; rachilla extension present; glumes oblong, membranous, keel scabrid, apex obtuse, abruptly narrowed into a stout, 0.3–0.7 mm, scabrid mucro; lemma 1.5–2 mm, 5-veined, glabrous or puberulent, apex obtuse; anthers 1–1.5 mm. Caryopsis 1.3–1.5 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Sep. 2n = 14.

Heilongjiang, Nei Mongol, N Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan; NW Africa, SW Asia (Caucasus), Europe].

Grassy mountain slopes, among shrubs, forest margins; 800–2600 m.

Phalaris phleoides Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 55. 1753.

Wikispecies has information related to Phleum phleoides. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Phleum phleoides.

Phleum phleoides (common names: Boehmer's cat's-tail and purple-stem cat's-tail) is a perennial grass native to most of Europe, North Africa, and temperate Asia. Culms are erect and 10–70 centimetres (3.9–27.6 in) in height; leaf blades are 5–12 centimetres (2.0–4.7 in) long by 1–3.5 millimetres (0.039–0.138 in) wide.

It can be confused with related species Timothy-grass, Phleum pratense. However purple-stem cat's-tail prefers lighter soils and grows on chalk downland.