| 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  | |
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]
.jpg.webp)
.jpg.webp)


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]
- 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 schafkati 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
- 1 2 3 Herbarium.usu.edu: Genus Melica treatment
 - ↑ Jepson Manual eFlora: Melica links
 - 1 2 "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
 
