Melica torreyana
Encyclopedia
Melica torreyana is a species of grass
known by the common name Torrey's melicgrass.
, where it grows in chaparral
, grassland
, and other hillside and mountain habitat
s in the northern and central sections of the state.
is a narrow panicle of small spikelets each under a centimeter long.
Poaceae
The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...
known by the common name Torrey's melicgrass.
Distribution
It is endemic to CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it grows in chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
, grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
, and other hillside and mountain habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s in the northern and central sections of the state.
Description
Melica torreyana is a perennial bunchgrass with dense clumps of stems up to a meter-3 feet long. The inflorescenceInflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a narrow panicle of small spikelets each under a centimeter long.