Melica subulata is a species of grass known by the common name Alaska oniongrass.
| Melica subulata | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Pooideae |
| Genus: | Melica |
| Species: | M. subulata
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| Binomial name | |
| Melica subulata | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Distribution
editIt is native to western North America from Alaska to California to Colorado, where it grows in moist habitat, often in forests.
Melica subulata is a main understory member of the Douglas-fir/Alaska oniongrass plant community, a rare plant association that occurs on the southern edge of Vancouver Island on the Strait of Georgia.[2] This plant community once had a wider range, occurring also along the Puget Sound and in the Willamette Valley.[2]
Description
editMelica subulata is a rhizomatous perennial grass with clustered onionlike corms at the base of each stem. It grows to a maximum height near 1.3 meters. The inflorescence is a narrow or spreading panicle of cylindrical, pointed spikelets which may be nearly 3 centimeters long.
References
edit- ^ "Melica subulata (Griseb.) Scribn". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
- ^ a b Douglas-Fir/Alaska Oniongrass Plant Community Information Sheet.
External links
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