''Melica'' is a genus of perennial

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

known generally as melic or melic grass. They are found in most temperate regions of the world.Herbarium.usu.edu: Genus ''Melica'' treatment
/ref> Melic grasses are clumping to short-

rhizomatous In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

. They have flowering culms up to 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. Some species of melic have

corm Corm, bulbo-tuber, or bulbotuber is a short, vertical, swollen, underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ that some plants use to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat (perennation). The word ''c ...

s, lending them the name oniongrass.Jepson Manual eFlora: ''Melica'' links
/ref> The genus is most diverse in South America and temperate Asia. Eight species are endemic to China. In North America, most species occur west of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

, with exceptions being '' Melica mutica'' and ''M. nitens'' which occur throughout much of the southeast and lower Midwest respectively.

Species

Species and hybrids include: Calflora Database: ''Melica''
/ref> * '' Melica altissima'' L. – Siberian melic grass * '' Melica amethystina'' Pourr. * '' Melica animarum'' Muj.-Sall. & M.Marchi * ''

Melica argentata ''Melica argentata'' is a species of grass endemic to Chile (Coquimbo 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 m ...

'' É.Desv. * ''

Melica argyrea ''Melica argyrea'' is a species of grass found in Argentina, Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul), and Uruguay. Description The glumes are long and are erect. It has no lateral branches. Leaf-sheaths are tubular for majority of the length and can be scab ...

'' Hack. * '' Melica aristata'' Thurb. ex Bol. – bearded melic grass * '' Melica arzivencoi'' Valls & Barcellos * ''

Melica × aschersonii ''Melica'' is a genus of perennial grasses known generally as melic or melic grass. They are found in most temperate regions of the world. Melic grasses are clumping to short- rhizomatous grasses. They have flowering culms up to tall bear ...

'' M.Schulze * ''

Melica bocquetii ''Melica bocquetii'', is a species of grass in the family Poaceae that is endemic to the Subbaetic mountains of southern Spain.S. Talavera. Lagascalia 14(1): 118 (1986). Una nueva especie del genero Melica L. Description The species is perennia ...

'' Talavera * ''

Melica bonariensis ''Melica bonariensis'' is a species of grass endemic to Argentina where it can be found in such provinces as Buenos Aires (Bahía Blanca), La Pampa, and Rio Negro. Description The species is perennial with short rhizomes. Its culms are erect a ...

'' Parodi * ''

Melica brasiliana ''Melica brasiliana'', is a grass species in the family Poaceae that is endemic to Brazil and southern South America. Description The species is perennial with elongated rhizomes. Its culms are long. Culm-internodes scaberulous with leaf-sheat ...

'' Ard. * ''

Melica brevicoronata ''Melica brevicoronata'', is a grass species in the family Poaceae that can be found in Brazil, southern South America, and Cerro Pan de Azúcar, Uruguay. Description The species is perennial with elongated rhizomes and pilose butt sheaths. Its ...

'' Roseng. * ''

Melica bulbosa ''Melica bulbosa'' is a species of grass known by the common name oniongrass. The common name comes from the onionlike appearance of the corm at its root; it is not related to the onions. It is native to western North America from British Columbi ...

'' Porter & J.M.Coult. – oniongrass * ''

Melica californica ''Melica californica'' is a species of grass known by the common name California melic. Distribution This grass is native to Oregon and California, where it grows in many types of habitat, from mountain forests to open grassland at sea level. D ...

'' Scribn. – California melic grass * ''

Melica canariensis ''Melica'' is a genus of perennial grasses known generally as melic or melic grass. They are found in most temperate regions of the world. Melic grasses are clumping to short-rhizomatous grasses. They have flowering culms up to tall bearing ...

'' W.Hempel * ''

Melica capillaris ''Melica'' is a genus of perennial grasses known generally as melic or melic grass. They are found in most temperate regions of the world. Melic grasses are clumping to short-rhizomatous grasses. They have flowering culms up to tall bearing ...

'' Sol. * ''

Melica cepacea ''Melica'' is a genus of perennial grasses known generally as melic or melic grass. They are found in most temperate regions of the world. Melic grasses are clumping to short-rhizomatous grasses. They have flowering culms up to tall bearing ...

'' (Phil.) Scribn. * ''

Melica chilensis ''Melica'' is a genus of perennial grasses known generally as melic or melic grass. They are found in most temperate regions of the world. Melic grasses are clumping to short-rhizomatous grasses. They have flowering culms up to tall bearing ...

'' J.Presl * ''

Melica ciliata ''Melica ciliata'', the hairy melic or silky spike melic, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, native to Europe, north Africa and temperate Asia. It has been introduced to South Australia. Description The species is a tuf ...

'' 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 ''Melica longiligulata'' is a species of grass endemic to the Sichuan province of China. Description The species is perennial and caespitose with elongated rhizomes and long by wide culms. The leaves themselves are cauline while leaf-sheath b ...

'' Z.L.Wu * '' Melica macra'' Nees * ''

Melica minor ''Melica minor'' is a species of grass in the family Poaceae. It is endemic to Caucasus. Description The species is perennial and caespitose with long culms. The leaf-sheaths are tubular and are closed on one end with its surface being glabrou ...

'' 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 ''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 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 ''Melica'' is a genus of perennial grasses known generally as melic or melic grass. They are found in most temperate regions of the world. Melic grasses are clumping to short-rhizomatous grasses. They have flowering culms up to tall bearing ...

'' Kunth * '' Melica scabrosa'' Trin. * '' Melica schafkatii'' Bondarenko * ''

Melica schuetzeana ''Melica schuetzeana'' is a species of grass in the family Poaceae that is found in Bhutan and in the Chinese provinces Qinghai, Sichuan and Yunnan. It was first described in 1972 by Werner Hempel. Description The species is perennial and have ...

'' 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 ''Melica spartinoides'', is a species of grass in the family Poaceae that is endemic to the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. Description The species is perennial and caespitose with short rhizomes. It culms are erect and are long. The speci ...

'' 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 ''Melica yajiangensis'', is a species of grass that is endemic to China. Description The species is perennial and caespitose, which is clumped and have absent rhizomes. Its culms are long and in diameter. The species leaf-sheaths are tubular ...

'' Z.L.Wu

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q158251 Poaceae genera Grasses of Africa Grasses of Asia Grasses of Europe Grasses of North America Grasses of Oceania Grasses of South America Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus