■ nuÉz-'/zJ
MELICA Linn. Gen. PI. T riandria Digyn iä.
Cal. 2-valvis, 2-florus. CoipitfciduYn pedicellatum inter flofculos. Neclarium
monophyllum. Stamina bafi dilatata. Linn. S)fi. Nat. ed. 13. Gmelin. .
Raii Syn. Gen. 27. H erbes . g r a m i n i f o l i .e flore imperfecto culmifer^.
MELICA nutans, petalis imberbibus, panicula nutante fimplici. Linn.Syfl. Vege tab. ed. 14, Murr.
p. 112. Sp. PI. ed. 3. p. 98. Flor. Suèc. ed. 2. p. 26. Scopoli Cam. ed. 2. p- 6 j. Lightf.
Scot. v. 1. p. 95. Leers Herb. p. 25. Schreb. Agroß. p. 63. ic. 6.
MELICA montana petalis imberbibus, panicula coarßata, fecunda, erefta, fubfimplici, floribus pendulis.
Hudfon Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 37.
POA panicula laxa, locuftis nutantibus dianthis, alterno flofculo imperfe£lo. Haller FUß; n. 1472.
GRAMEN montanum avenaceum, locuftis rubris. Baub. Pint 10.
IRADIX perennis, fibrofa, fubrepens. 1
ÈCULMI pedales aut fefquipe'dales, fimpliçes, ere&i, 1
foliofi, fcabri, ftnati, fubangulofi, inferne (
purpurei.
[FOLIA ad balm culmi brévia, fquamæformia, fufcef- ,
centia, ficut afcendunt, 'longiora et anguftiora j
evadunt ; fcabriufcula, lineam cum dimidia <
latâ^ , 0 <
[LIGULA nulla. , , . <
iPANICULA bi-triuncialis, fubnutans, fecunda, fimplex, ■
vel ramofä ; peduticulis capillaribus, rachi A
fiibappreflis, flexuofis, ereclis, ad lentem vil- ft
lolls, præcipue ad flores ubi paululum in- ft
craflantur.' .ft
[ SPICULEE plerumque. trifloræ, .rudimento flofculi ft
pediçellàto clavato, ßg. 3. a
rCALYX : Gluma bivalvis, valvulis inæqualibus, ovatis, ft
obtufis, obfolete nervöfis, primo purpureis, %
dem um fufcefcentibus.. ßg. 1. ft
fCOROLL A : Gluma bivalvis, valvulis inæqualibus, ft
exteriore magna, concava, ovata, multinervia, ft
nervis plerifque mediam valvulæ vix attingen- ft
tibus ; interiore lata, plana, multo breviore, a
W Ê m Ê Ê m Ê i . • ' ft
[STAMINA : F il am e n t a 3 capillaria, diftinfta ; ft
A n th e ræ f la v æ ,^ . 4. 8. ’ ft
[GERMEN : lato-ovatum, pellucidum ; .;.St y l i duo, ft
inferne nudi, fupeme plumofi, patentes, ßg. ft
6. 9. ft
[NECTARIUM : Glumulce duæ, carnofæ, truncatæ, K
h - 1 - . 0
ROOT perennial, fibrous, fomewhat creeping.
STALKS a foot or a foot and a half high, fimple,
upright, leafy, rough, ftriated, -fomewhat
angular, b,elow purphfh.
LEAVES at the bafe of the fliaIk Ihort, fcale-like,
, brownilhj as- they afcend becoming • longer
and’ narrower, a line and a half broad, and
flightly rough.
MEMBRANE at the bafe o f the leaf wanting.
PANICLE two or three inches long, bending down a
little, with the flowers inclining one-way,-
fimple or branched ; peduncles capillary,
preffed to the rachis, crooked, upright, .villous
if magnified, especially at the flower,
where they are fomewhat thickened.
SPICULAL ufually three-flowered, rudiment of the
floret forming a fort o f club, Jig. 3.
C A L Y X : a Glume of two valves, valves unequal,
ovate, blunt, faintly ribbed, at firft purple,
laftly of. a brownifh hue, jig. 1.
CO R O L LA : a Glume o f two valves, valves unequal,
the outer one large, concave, ovate, many-
ribbed, moll of the ribs fcarcely reaching
half its length; the inner one broad, flat,
and much fnorter, fig. 2.
STAMINA: 3 capillary Filaments, quite diftinfl ;
A nther' je yellow, fig. 4. 8. .
GERMEN of a broad ovate form, and ' pellucid;
Styles two, naked below, above feathery,
and fpreading, fig. 6. 9.
NECTARY : two little Glumes, flefhy, and truncated, fill 7-
This elegant fpecies of Melica inhabits rocky and Ihady fituations in the more Northern parts of Europe ;
; Mr. Hudson mentions it as growing in the mountainous woods of Yorklhire, Weftmoreland, and Cumberland
|Mr. Lightfoot plentifully in Scotland; we obferved it abundantly in Grafs-Wood, near Graflington, in the
|neighbourhood of Kilnfay, Yorklhire, a moll romantic fpot, and fertile in rare plants.
. It-flowers in July and Auguft.
Mr. L ightfoot ohferves that it varies with flowers nearly feflile, growing in a fpike inflead of a panicle.
L eers defcription and delineation of the minute parts of the fruftification in this fpecies, contrary to what
lip generally find in his excellent work, djftinguilhed and much depended on for its accuracy, are very erroneous;
, filaments are not united at the bafe, nor is the neflarv formed of one entire circular piece, but of two,
paving the appearance indeed of one, feparable on a nice dilfe&ion ; they do not entirely furround the germen;
L ls ^m o r e necelfary to notice this circumftance, as it appears to have miflead Profeflor G melin, who makes
r c i\ectarium monophyllum a part of the generic • charafter in the Melica. Profeflor S g h r e b e r ’s magnified
j ePre station of the-neflary, to which the fame fault is imputable, may have contributed its fhare alfo.
Haller, and Scheuchzer, refer to the gramen montanum fpicatum of Clusius for our plant,
Iptherplant^-1 ^ *tj botfi as t0 figure and defcription-, that we fufpefl that author muft have meant fome
[plantnCId U1"doubtedly run int0 one another, but furely there is a wide difference between the fru&ification of this
himo Jp . at.° f a Poa, to which it is referred by Baron Haller, and of an Air a. to which Profeflor G melin
I tbat p miglit be joined.