Melica smithii
Melica geyeri
mélique de Smith, Smith oniongrass, Smith's melic, Smith's melic grass, Smith's oniongrass
Geyer's onion grass
60-160 cm, thickened basally, sometimes appearing cormous;
internodes sometimes pubescent below the nodes.
65-200 cm, glabrous, forming corms, corms sessile on the rhizomes;
internodes smooth.
usually glabrous, sometimes pilose or retrorsely scabrous, particularly at the throat, veins often prominent;
ligules 2-4 mm;
blades 15-25 cm long, 5-12 mm wide, both surfaces usually scabridulous, glabrous, sometimes the adaxial surfaces with hairs.
scabridulous to scabrous, sometimes sparsely pilose, particularly at the throat and collar;
ligules 0.8-5 mm;
blades 2-8 mm wide, abaxial surfaces scabridulous, adaxial surfaces with hairs.
12-30 cm;
branches 7-11 cm, spreading to reflexed, with 4-7 spikelets, spikelets restricted to the distal portion, axils frequently with brownish pulvini;
pedicels straight;
disarticulation above the glumes.
10-30 cm;
branches 3-11 cm, divergent to reflexed, flexuous, with 1-6 spikelets;
pedicels straight;
disarticulation above the glumes.
12-18 mm, with 3-5 bisexual florets;
rachilla internodes 2.5-3 mm.
8-24 mm, with 4-7 bisexual florets, base of the distal florets exposed at anthesis;
rachilla internodes 2-3 mm, not swollen when fresh, not wrinkled when dry.
usually less than 1/2 the length of the spikelets;
lower glumes 3.5-7 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, 5-9-veined;
upper glumes 5-11 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, 5-11-veined;
lemmas 7.5-12.5 mm, glabrous or scabrous, 7-veined, veins inconspicuous, apices rounded to acute, sometimes toothed, unawned or awned, awns to 2 mm;
paleas about as long as the lemmas;
anthers 3, 2.5-4 mm;
rudiments 3-7 mm, tapering, resembling the bisexual florets.
4.5-7 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, 1-3-veined;
upper glumes 6.5-9 mm long, 1.2-1.8 mm wide, 3-5-veined;
lemmas 9.5-12 mm, glabrous or scabrous, 7-veined, apices bifid to emarginate, awned, awns 3-10 mm;
paleas about 2/3 the length of the lemmas;
anthers 1.3-2.5 mm;
rudiments 3.5-6 mm, tapering, resembling the bisexual florets.
3-4 mm.
= unknown.
=18.
Melica smithii
Melica geyeri
Melica smithii grows in cool, moist woods from British Columbia and Alberta south to Oregon and Wyoming and, as a disjunct, from the Great Lakes region to western Quebec. It often forms colonies in the eastern portion of its range. Its disjunct distribution pattern is unusual among North America's grasses.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Melica geyeri grows to 2000 m, primarily in dry, open woods, in Oregon and California. Its large size and open panicle distinguish M. geyeri from most other North American species of Melica.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Lemma apices awned, awns 0.5-2 mm long | var. aristulata |
1. Lemma apices unawned | var. geyeri |
- Local floras:
BC, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites:
Flora NW, 
MI Flora, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
CA
