Smaller Cat's-tail

Phleum bertolonii grows to 50 cm (20 in) tall, rarely 70 cm (28 in) tall, with leaves 2–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) broad. The leaves have short, narrow, acute-tipped ligules. The flowerhead is up to 8 cm (3 in) long and 3–7.5 mm (0.1–0.3 in) broad, with densely packed spikelets, the glumes with a 0.2–1.2 mm long awn. It flowers from June until August. It has often been confused with Timothy (Phleum pratense); this is most easily distinguished by its broad, blunt ligules, and is a much larger plant, growing to 150 cm, 2–3 times as tall as P. bertolonii and with flowerheads twice as long.