Melica nitens

(Scribn.) Nutt. ex Piper
Common names: Three-flower melic
Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24. Treatment on page 100.

Plants not or loosely cespitose, shortly rhizomatous. Culms 55-130 cm, not forming corms; internodes smooth. Sheaths glabrous or scabridulous; ligules 1-6.5 mm; blades 3.5-11 mm wide, flat, abaxial surfaces smooth or scabridulous, adaxial surfaces scabridulous. Panicles 9-26 cm; branches 3.5-6 cm, often divergent to reflexed, straight, with 5-20 spikelets; pedicels sharply bent and hairy below the spikelets; disarticulation below the glumes. Spikelets 8-12 mm, with 2-3 (4) bisexual florets, apices of the lowest 2 florets not at the same level; rachilla internodes 2.3-2.4 mm. Glumes unequal; lower glumes 5-9 mm long, 3.5-4.5 mm wide, more ovate than the upper glumes, 3-9-veined; upper glumes 6-11 mm long, 2.5-3.5 mm wide, 3-7-veined; lemmas 6.5-11.5 mm, glabrous or scabrous, somewhat indurate, with 9+ veins, veins prominent, apices rounded, unawned; paleas about 3/4 the length of the lemmas; anthers 1.7-3.2 mm; rudiments 2-3 mm, clublike, not resembling the bisexual florets, in a straight line with the rachilla. 2n = 18.

Distribution

Wis., W.Va., N.Mex., Tex., N.C., Tenn., Pa., Va., Colo., Md., Ala., Ark., Ill., Ga., Ind., Iowa, Ariz., Kans., Nebr., Okla., Ohio, Mo., Minn., Ky.

Discussion

Melica nitens grows in dry to moist woodlands, often in rocky areas with rich soil. It grows primarily from Minnesota to Pennsylvania and southwest to Texas.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Melica nitens"
scabridulous +  and smooth +
membranous +  and scarious +
0.17 cm1.7 mm <br />0.0017 m <br /> (0.32 cm3.2 mm <br />0.0032 m <br />) +
rounded +
Mary E. Barkworth +
(Scribn.) Nutt. ex Piper +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
straight +
basal +  and apical +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
persistent +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
hairy +  and glabrous +
folded +  and flat +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
Three-flower melic +
not branching +
ascending +  and erect +
55 cm550 mm <br />0.55 m <br /> (130 cm1,300 mm <br />1.3 m <br />) +
not woody +
Wis. +, W.Va. +, N.Mex. +, Tex. +, N.C. +, Tenn. +, Pa. +, Va. +, Colo. +, Md. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Ill. +, Ga. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Ariz. +, Kans. +, Nebr. +, Okla. +, Ohio +, Mo. +, Minn. +  and Ky. +
0 +  and 1/3 +
liquid +, soft +  and hard +
capillary +
sometimes longer +
2 +  and 3 +
compressed +
reduced +
shorter than to longer than the adjacent lemmas +
subtending +
unequal +
chartaceous +  and membranous +
uncinate +
(4)5-15-veined +
scabrous +  and glabrous +
0.65 cm6.5 mm <br />0.0065 m <br /> (1.15 cm11.5 mm <br />0.0115 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.65 cm6.5 mm <br />0.0065 m <br />) +
inconspicuous +
lanceolate +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
3.5mm +  and 4.5mm +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
well-developed +
reduced +
9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br /> (26 cm260 mm <br />0.26 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
scabridulous +
5 +  and 20 +
not viviparous +
compressed +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
collar-like +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Gramineae +
Melica nitens +
species +
membranous +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
2.5mm +  and 3.5mm +
plant +  and cespitose +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +