Melica
Melica is a genus of perennial grasses known generally as melic or melic grass. They are found in most temperate regions of the world. Melic grasses are clumping to short-rhizomatous grasses. They have flowering culms up to tall bearing spikelets of papery flowers. The spikelets have between one and seven fertile flowers with a rudimentary structure at the distal end composed of one to four sterile florets. Some species of melic have corms, lending them the name oniongrass. The genus is most diverse in South America and temperate Asia. Eight species are endemic to China. In North America, most species occur west of the Mississippi River, with exceptions being Melica mutica and M. nitens which occur throughout much of the southeast and lower Midwest respectively. Species Species and hybrids include: Melica altissima L. – Siberian melic grass Melica amethystina Pourr. Melica animarum Muj.-Sall. & M.Marchi Melica argentata É.Desv. Melica argyrea Hack. Melica aristata Thurb. ex Bol. – bearded melic grass Melica arzivencoi Valls & Barcellos Melica × aschersonii M.Schulze Melica bocquetii Talavera Melica bonariensis Parodi Melica brasiliana Ard. Melica brevicoronata Roseng. Melica bulbosa Porter & J.M.Coult. – oniongrass Melica californica Scribn. – California melic grass Melica canariensis W.Hempel Melica capillaris