''Melica argentata'' is a species of

grass Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

(

Coquimbo Coquimbo is a port city, commune and capital of the Elqui Province, located on the Pan-American Highway, in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. Coquimbo is situated in a valley south of La Serena, with which it forms Greater La Serena with more than ...

and O'Higgins).

Description

The species culmes are rambled, and are either straight or zigzag shaped. They are long and in diameter. The leaf-sheaths are tubular with the membrane being scaberulous and long. The leaf-blades though are long and wide. It also has scabrous margins and bottom which is rough on both sides. The

panicle A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are of ...

is pyramidical and is long. It has secund branches with scabrous axis. Spikelets are solitary with fertile

spikelet A spikelet, in botany, describes the typical arrangement of the flowers of grasses, sedges and some other Monocots. Each spikelet has one or more florets. The spikelets are further grouped into panicles or spikes. The part of the spikelet that ...

s being pedicelled, pedicels of which are

ciliate The ciliates are a group of alveolates characterized by the presence of hair-like organelles called cilia, which are identical in structure to flagellum, eukaryotic flagella, but are in general shorter and present in much larger numbers, with a ...

d, curved, filiformed and hairy. They also have 2 fertile florets which are diminished at the apex and which are also elliptic and are long. The

callus A callus is an area of thickened and sometimes hardened skin that forms as a response to repeated friction, pressure, or other irritation. Since repeated contact is required, calluses are most often found on the feet and hands, but they may o ...

of the floret is pubescent and also has scaberulous rhachilla. The fertile lemma is chartaceous, oblong, is long and wide. Sterile

floret This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary o ...

s are barren and grow in a clump, which is also cuneated and is in length. The apex of the lemma is emarginated with the hairs being of in length. The lower

glume In botany, a glume is a bract (leaf-like structure) below a spikelet in the inflorescence (flower cluster) of grasses (Poaceae) or the flowers of sedges (Cyperaceae). There are two other types of bracts in the spikelets of grasses: the lemma and ...

is membranous, ovate, is long and is longer than the upper glume. The upper glume is oblong and is long. Both glumes are emarginated, are asperulous on the bottom and have no keels. The lower glume is 5–6 veined while the upper one is 5-veined. Flowers are fleshy, oblong, truncate and are long with 3

anther The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

s which are in length. The species palea is 2-veined with ciliolated keels which are adorned on the top. Fruits have

caryopsis In botany, a caryopsis (plural caryopses) is a type of simple fruit—one that is monocarpellate (formed from a single carpel) and indehiscent (not opening at maturity) and resembles an achene, except that in a caryopsis the pericarp is fused ...

with an added pericarp and are long. They are dark brown in colour and have a linear hilum which is 1 length of their caryopsis.

Ecology

''Melica argentata'' can be found growing on slopes and in valleys of the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

at an elevation between . It grows with other species including ''

Lithraea caustica ''Lithraea caustica'' (commonly known as the litre tree, and historically as llithi or liti) is a species of flowering plants in the soapberry family Anacardiaceae. This plant is Endemism, endemic to central Chile; an example occurrence is in th ...

, Wuillaja sapanoria, Colliguaya odorifera, Trevoa trinervis, Schinus polygamus,

Acacia caven ''Vachellia caven'' (Roman cassie, , aromo criollo, caven, , , espinillo, espinillo de baado, espino, espino maulino) is an ornamental tree in the family Fabaceae. ''Vachellia caven'' is native to Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, and Uru ...

, Proustia pungens, Muehlenbackia hastulata'' and '' Melica longiflora''. The flowering time is from August to September.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q13423977 argentata Endemic flora of Chile