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 | |
|---|---|
| |
| 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 | |
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
editSpecies and hybrids include:[3][6]
- Melica altissima L. – Siberian melic grass
- Melica amethystina Pourr.
- Melica animarum Muj.-Sall. & M.Marchi
- Melica argentata É.Desv.
- Melica argyrea Hack.
- Melica aristata Thurb. ex Bol. – bearded melic grass
- Melica arzivencoi Valls & Barcellos
- Melica × aschersonii M.Schulze
- Melica bocquetii Talavera
- Melica bonariensis Parodi
- Melica brasiliana Ard.
- Melica brevicoronata Roseng.
- Melica bulbosa Porter & J.M.Coult. – oniongrass
- Melica californica Scribn. – California melic grass
- Melica canariensis W.Hempel
- Melica capillaris Sol.
- Melica cepacea (Phil.) Scribn.
- Melica chilensis J.Presl
- Melica ciliata L. – hairy melic, silky spike melic
- Melica commersonii Nees ex Steud.
- Melica cupani Guss.
- Melica decipiens Caro
- Melica dendroides Lehm.
- Melica eligulata Boiss.
- Melica eremophila Torres
- Melica frutescens Scribn. – woody melicgrass
- Melica fugax Bol. – little oniongrass
- Melica geyeri Munro ex Bol. – Geyer's oniongrass
- Melica glabrescens (Torres) Torres
- Melica grandiflora Koidz.
- Melica harfordii Bol. – Harford's oniongrass
- Melica × haussknechtii W.Hempel
- Melica hunzikeri Nicora
- Melica hyalina Döll
- Melica imperfecta Trin. – smallflower melic
- Melica kozlovii Tzvelev
- Melica lilloi Bech.
- Melica longiflora Steud.
- Melica longiligulata Z.L.Wu
- Melica macra Nees
- Melica minor Hack. ex Boiss.
- Melica minuta L. – small melic
- Melica mollis Phil.
- Melica montezumae Piper – Montezuma melic
- Melica mutica Walter – two-flower melic grass
- Melica nitens (Scribn.) Nutt. ex Piper – three-flower melic grass
- Melica nutans L. – mountain melic; nodding melic
- Melica onoei Franch. & Sav.
- Melica pappiana W.Hempel
- Melica parodiana Torres
- Melica patagonica Parodi
- Melica paulsenii Phil.
- Melica penicillaris Boiss. & Balansa
- Melica persica Kunth
- Melica picta K.Koch
- Melica poecilantha É.Desv.
- Melica porteri Scribn.
- Melica przewalskyi Roshev.
- Melica racemosa Thunb.
- Melica radula Franch.
- Melica rectiflora Boiss. & Heldr.
- Melica rigida Cav.
- Melica riograndensis Longhi-Wagner & Valls
- Melica sarmentosa Nees
- Melica scaberrima (Nees ex Steud.) Hook.f.
- Melica scabra Kunth
- Melica scabrosa Trin.
- Melica schafkatii Bondarenko
- Melica schuetzeana W.Hempel
- Melica secunda Regel
- Melica serrana Muj.-Sall. & M.Marchi
- Melica smirnovii Tzvelev
- Melica smithii (Porter ex A.Gray) Vasey – Smith's melicgrass
- Melica spartinoides L.B.Sm.
- Melica spectabilis Scribn. – purple oniongrass
- Melica stricta Bol. – rock melic grass
- Melica stuckertii Hack.
- Melica subflava Z.L.Wu &
- Melica subulata (Griseb.) Scribn. – Alaska oniongrass
- Melica tangutorum Tzvelev
- Melica taylorii W.Hempel
- Melica teneriffae Hack. ex Christ
- Melica tenuis Arechav.
- Melica × thuringiaca Rauschert
- Melica tibetica Roshev.
- Melica torreyana Scribn. – Torrey's melic
- Melica transsilvanica Schur
- Melica turczaninowiana Ohwi
- Melica × tzvelevii W.Hempel
- Melica uniflora Retz.
- Melica violacea Cav.
- Melica virgata Turcz. ex Trin.
- Melica × weinii W.Hempel
- Melica yajiangensis Z.L.Wu
References
edit- ^ a b c Herbarium.usu.edu: Genus Melica treatment
- ^ Jepson Manual eFlora: Melica links
- ^ a b "Melica L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanical Gardens Kew. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Melica 2013 BONAP North American Plant Atlas". bonap.net. The Biota of North America Program. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
- ^ Calflora Database: Melica