Melica

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Melica
Melica ciliata 010707.jpg
Melica ciliata
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Pooideae
Supertribe: Melicodae
Tribe: Meliceae
Genus: Melica
L.
Species

See text

Melica is a genus of perennial grasses known generally as melic or melic grass. They are found in most temperate regions of the world. [1]

Melica uniflora spikelet Melica uniflora sl11 (cropped without scale).jpg
Melica uniflora spikelet
Corm of Melica spectabilis, purple oniongrass Melica spectabilis (9373155314).jpg
Corm of Melica spectabilis , purple oniongrass
Melica altissima 'Atropurpurea' cultivar Melica altissima 'Atropurpurea' Perlowka wyniosla 2010-06-11 02.jpg
Melica altissima 'Atropurpurea' cultivar
Melica picta in situ Melica picta130512.JPG
Melica picta in situ

Melic grasses are clumping to short-rhizomatous grasses. They have flowering culms up to 250 cm (98 in) tall bearing spikelets of papery flowers. The spikelets have between one and seven fertile flowers with a rudimentary structure at the distal end composed of one to four sterile florets. [1] Some species of melic have corms, lending them the name oniongrass. [2]

The genus is most diverse in South America and temperate Asia. [3] Eight species are endemic to China. [4] In North America, most species occur west of the Mississippi River, with exceptions being Melica mutica and M. nitens which occur throughout much of the southeast and lower Midwest respectively. [1] [5]

Species

Species and hybrids include: [3] [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Stipa</i> Genus of grasses

Stipa is a genus of around 300 large perennial hermaphroditic grasses collectively known as feather grass, needle grass, and spear grass. They are placed in the subfamily Pooideae and the tribe Stipeae, which also contains many species formerly assigned to Stipa, which have since been reclassified into new genera.

<i>Calamagrostis</i> Genus of grasses

Calamagrostis is a genus of flowering plants in the grass family Poaceae, with about 260 species that occur mainly in temperate regions of the globe. Towards equatorial latitudes, species of Calamagrostis generally occur at higher elevations. These tufted perennials usually have hairless narrow leaves. The ligules are usually blunt. The inflorescence forms a panicle. Some may be reed-like.

<i>Bouteloua</i> Genus of grasses

Bouteloua is a genus of plants in the grass family. Members of the genus are commonly known as grama grass.

<i>Deschampsia</i> Genus of flowering plants in the grass family Poaceae

Deschampsia is a genus of plants in the grass family, commonly known as hair grass or tussock grass. The genus is widespread across many countries.

<i>Helictotrichon</i> Genus of grasses

Helictotrichon, or alpine oatgrass, is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the grass family. The genus name comes from the Greek heliktos meaning twisted, and trichos meaning hair, referring to the shape of the awn.

<i>Muhlenbergia</i> Genus of plants

Muhlenbergia is a genus of plants in the grass family.

<i>Setaria</i> Genus of grasses

Setaria is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family. The name is derived from the Latin word seta, meaning "bristle" or "hair", which refers to the bristly spikelets.

<i>Achnatherum</i> Genus of flowering plants

Achnatherum is a genus of plants which includes several species of needlegrass. Several needlegrass species have been switched between Achnatherum and genus Stipa; taxonomy between the two closely related genera is still uncertain.

<i>Elymus</i> (plant) Genus of grasses

Elymus is a genus of perennial plants with approximately 150 species in the grass family, related to rye, wheat, and other widely grown cereal grains.

<i>Melica nitens</i> Species of grass

Melica nitens is a species of grass known by the common names threeflower melicgrass or three-flowered melic. It is native to the central United States.

<i>Melica mutica</i> Species of grass

Melica mutica, the twoflower melicgrass, is a grass species in the family Poaceae that can be found in southeastern United States.

Chascolytrum is a genus of plants in the grass family, native to Latin America from Mexico to Chile.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Herbarium.usu.edu: Genus Melica treatment
  2. ↑ Jepson Manual eFlora: Melica links
  3. 1 2 "Melica L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanical Gardens Kew. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  4. ↑ Wu, Zhen-lan; Sylvia M. Phillips. "Melica". Flora of China. Vol. 22. Retrieved 9 December 2018– via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  5. ↑ "Melica 2013 BONAP North American Plant Atlas". bonap.net. The Biota of North America Program. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  6. ↑ Calflora Database: Melica
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