Phleum alpinum L.
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TAXONOMY
 
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Phleum
 
Species Synonyms: Phleum alpinum var. commutatum (Gaudin) Griseb.
Phleum commutatum Gaudin
Phleum commutatum var. americanum (Fourn.) Hultén
Common Names: alpine timothy
mountain timothy
 
DISTRIBUTION
 
Canada: Yukon – western Mackenzie District, British Columbia – southwestern Alberta – southwestern Saskatchewan, Ontario – Ungava – Labrador – Nova Scotia
Saskatchewan: southwestern Saskatchewan; Cypress Hills– Frenchman River Valley
Ecoregion: Cypress Upland
 
HABITAT
 
Saskatchewan: moist meadows, hillsides and shores
Associated species: Pinus contorta
 
RARITY STATUS
 
Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):
Vulnerable
Nature Conservancy Status:
G5 S2
Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:
None
COSEWIC Status:
None
 
Phleum alpinum is vulnerable because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. It is only somewhat regionally restricted and local population sizes vary. No immediate threats are known but may occur in the future.
 
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
 
Height: 15 – 50 cm
Roots: roots fibrous; rhizomes, if present, short
Stem: caespitose, often decumbent
Leaves: blades to 17 cm long, 4 – 7 mm wide, flat, scabrous above and on the margins; sheaths of flag leaves inflated, round, glabrous; ligules 1 – 4 mm wide, membranous, truncate; auricles not well-developed
Inflorescence: panicles 1 – 6 cm long, 5 – 10 mm wide, subglobose to cylindrical
Spikelets: 1-flowered
Flowers: glumes 2.5 – 4.5 mm long, keel hispid, margin scabrous, awn 2 – 3 mm long; lemmas shorter than glumes, glabrous, unawned; paleas similar to lemmas
Fruits: caryopsis
 
PHLEUM KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN
 
1 Sheaths of flag leaves inflated; lower internodes not inflated; panicles short
P. alpinum
1 Sheaths of flag leaves not inflated; lower internodes frequently enlarged or bulbous; panicles elongated
P. pratense ssp. pratense