Melica geyeri
Encyclopedia
Melica geyeri is a species of grass
known by the common name Geyer's oniongrass.
and California
, including the Sierra Nevada. It grows in many types of habitat, including mountain forests and open hillsides.
perennial grass growing up to 2 meters in maximum height. The base of the stem swells into onionlike corm
s. The inflorescence
is a wide array of long, narrow, pointed spikelets which are green with purple banding.
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 Geyer's oniongrass.
Distribution
It is native to OregonOregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and California
California
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...
, including the Sierra Nevada. It grows in many types of habitat, including mountain forests and open hillsides.
Description
Melica geyeri is a rhizomatousRhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
perennial grass growing up to 2 meters in maximum height. The base of the stem swells into onionlike corm
Corm
A corm is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ used by some plants to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat ....
s. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
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 wide array of long, narrow, pointed spikelets which are green with purple banding.