TIMOTHY

also called herd's-grass (Phleum pratense) perennial grass of the family Poaceae, native to Europe and widely cultivated as a hay and pasture grass in North America. The stems grow in large clumps and are 0.5 to 1 m (1.5 to 3 feet) tall, with swollen, bulblike bases. The panicles (flower clusters) are long, dense, and cylindrical. Alpine, or mountain, timothy (P. alpinum) is about half as tall, with short, thick panicles. It occurs in wet places from Greenland to Alaska, and at high altitudes in many other parts of North America and Europe.