Melica

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes absent (44), or short (21), or elongated (24). Culms erect (38/57), or geniculately ascending (19/57), or decumbent (6/57), or rambling (4/57), or scandent (1/57); robust (1/3), or slender (2/3); 10–63.28–400 cm long; firm (85), or wiry (3), or woody (2); rooting from lower nodes (1/1). Lateral branches lacking (16/21), or sparse (1/21), or ample (4/21). Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length (86/86). Leaf-sheath auricles absent (83), or erect and connate forming a tooth opposite blade (6). Ligule an eciliate membrane (88), or absent (4). Leaf-blades filiform (4), or linear (86), or lanceolate (1); stiff (15), or firm (73), or flaccid (2); without scent (88), or aromatic (1). Leaf-blade venation without cross veins (88), or with distinct cross veins (1). Leaf-blade apex muticous (88), or pungent (1).

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; exserted (88), or embraced at base by subtending leaf (2).

Panicle open (67), or contracted (20), or spiciform (5). Primary panicle branches not whorled (86), or whorled at most nodes (3).

Spikelets ascending (1/10), or spreading (3/10), or pendulous (5/10), or deflexed (3/10); solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform (68/69), or linear (1/69).

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets (35), or 2 fertile florets (64), or 3 fertile florets (28), or 4 fertile florets (19), or 5 fertile florets (12), or 6 fertile florets (6), or 7 fertile florets (2), or 8 fertile florets (1); with a barren rhachilla extension (1), or with diminished florets at the apex (88). Spikelets lanceolate (5), or elliptic (18), or oblong (34), or ovate (9), or orbicular (2), or obovate (8), or cuneate (13); laterally compressed (76), or dorsally compressed (14); 3.5–8.914–24 mm long; falling entire (51), or breaking up at maturity (39); disarticulating below each fertile floret (20/30), or above glumes but not between florets (10/30). Rhachilla internodes brief up to lowest fertile floret (87), or elongated between glumes (2); definite (75/75); glabrous (73/75), or pubescent (2/75), or pilose (1/75). Floret callus glabrous (6/21), or pubescent (15/21).

GLUMES Glumes persistent (29/29); shorter than spikelet (55), or reaching apex of florets (18), or exceeding apex of florets (20); thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate (16), or elliptic (24), or oblong (21), or ovate (16), or orbicular (1), or obovate (16), or flabellate (5); clasping (1/1); 0.33–0.9194–2 length of upper glume; hyaline (5), or membranous (61), or chartaceous (6), or scarious (17); without keels (86), or 1-keeled (3); 1–5–11 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent (6), or obscure (1), or distinct (83), or prominent (1). Lower glume surface smooth (79), or asperulous (11); without pits; glabrous (87), or puberulous (2). Lower glume apex entire (75), or erose (13), or dentate (1); 2 -fid (1/1); emarginate (3/83), or truncate (2/83), or obtuse (29/83), or acute (52/83), or acuminate (4/83), or setaceously attenuate (1/83); muticous (88), or mucronate (1). Upper glume linear (1), or lanceolate (35), or elliptic (25), or oblong (21), or ovate (9), or obovate (3), or cuneate (2); 0.5–1–1.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline (4), or membranous (62), or chartaceous (6), or scarious (17); with undifferentiated margins (37), or hyaline margins (52); without keels (86), or 1-keeled (3); 1–2 -veined (1/81), or 3 -veined (17/81), or 4 -veined (10/81), or 5 -veined (61/81), or 6 -veined (13/81), or 7 -veined (22/81), or 8–9 -veined (3/81). Upper glume primary vein eciliate (88), or ciliate (1). Upper glume lateral veins transversely connected at apex (1/1). Upper glume surface smooth (77), or asperulous (10), or scabrous (1), or rugose (1); glabrous (86), or puberulous (3), or pilose (1). Upper glume apex entire (82), or erose (5), or dentate (2); 2 -fid (2/2); emarginate (3/80), or obtuse (31/80), or acute (52/80), or acuminate (7/80), or setaceously attenuate (1/80).

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate (26), or elliptic (39), or oblong (19), or ovate (10), or obovate (3), or oblanceolate (1); chartaceous (80), or herbaceous (5), or cartilaginous (2), or coriaceous (2); of similar consistency above (34), or much thinner above (55); of similar consistency on margins (41), or much thinner on margins (48); without keel (88), or keeled (1); wingless; 3–8–15 -veined. Lemma midvein extending to apex (1/1); without distinctive roughness (88), or scabrous (1); eciliate (88), or pubescent (1). Lemma lateral veins obscure (5/16), or distinct (3/16), or prominent (8/16); without ribs (86), or ribbed (3); stopping well short of apex (1/1). Lemma surface smooth (45), or asperulous (8), or scaberulous (18), or scabrous (16), or papillose (2), or tuberculate (1), or striate (2); unwrinkled (86), or rugulose (3); without grooves; glabrous (75), or puberulous (1), or pubescent (5), or pilose (4), or villous (3), or hispid (1); hairy on back (9/14), or on veins (5/14); with simple hairs (13/14), or tubercle-based hairs (1/14); without hair tufts (88), or with tufts of hair on midvein (1). Lemma margins eciliate (61), or ciliate (29), or pubescent (1), or pilose (1). Lemma apex entire (76), or erose (4), or dentate (13), or lobed (1); 2 -fid (14/14); incised 0.1 of lemma length; emarginate (10/74), or truncate (2/74), or obtuse (49/74), or acute (23/74), or acuminate (2/74); muticous (85), or mucronate (1), or awned (4); 1 -awned (4/4). Principal lemma awn apical (1/4), or subapical (2/4), or from a sinus (1/4). Palea 0.5–0.8279–1 length of lemma; hyaline (1), or membranous (88); 2 -veined (87/87). Palea keels unthickened (85), or thickened (4); wingless (85), or winged (4); smooth (84), or scaberulous (4), or scabrous (1); eciliate (40), or ciliolate (49), or ciliate (1). Palea surface glabrous (82), or puberulous (5), or pubescent (2). Palea apex entire (4/7), or dentate (3/7). Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped (5/88), or distinct from fertile (83/88); 1 in number (6/35), or 2–3 in number (31/35), or 4 in number (1/35); barren (83/83); separate (3/83), or in a clump (80/83); linear (1/83), or lanceolate (7/83), or elliptic (12/83), or oblong (13/83), or ovate (5/83), or orbicular (5/83), or cuneate (44/83). Apical sterile lemmas muticous (81/83), or awned (2/83).

FLOWER Lodicules 2 (82/82); united (82/82); fleshy (81/81); glabrous (81/82), or ciliate (3/82); truncate (81/81). Anthers 3. Stigmas 2 (2/2). Ovary glabrous (2/2).

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp (86/86); fusiform (1/26), or ellipsoid (20/26), or oblong (2/26), or ovoid (2/26), or obovoid (3/26). Embryo 0.2–0.2835–0.4 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear (63/63); 0.33–0.8988–1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe (12), or Africa (8), or Temperate Asia (32), or Tropical Asia (5), or North America (18), or South America (32).

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.