Melica | |
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Melica ciliata | |
Scientific classification | |
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]
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 and hybrids include: [3] [6]
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.
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.
Bouteloua is a genus of plants in the grass family. Members of the genus are commonly known as grama grass.
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.
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.
Muhlenbergia is a genus of plants in the grass family.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.