1918] 



The Grasses of Illinois 



385 



Melica mutica Walt. 

 Narrow Melic Grass (Figs. 223 and 224) 



Melica speciosa, Engelmann '44, 103. M. mutica, Lapham '57, 576; Flagg 

 '78, 281; Brendel '87, 63; Huett '97, 130. 



Culms erect, 2 to 3 feet tall, slender ; sheaths usually overlapping ; 

 blades rough, 4 to 8 inches long, 2 to 10 mm. wide; panicles narro-w 

 with short, ascending branches, or reduced to a raceme; spikelets 7 

 to 10 mm. long, rough, nodding ; lemmas 6 to 8 mm. long ; both glumes 

 and lemmas with thin, whitish margins ; glumes nearly equal, almost 

 or quite as long as the floret. 



This species is usually found in open w;^oods. 



HENDERSON CO. Oquawka, Patterson, macoupin CO. Without locality, Eoh- 

 crtson. MARiox co. Without locality, Lapham. peoria co. Peoria, Brendel. 



222 



223 



224 



Figs. 219-224. — 219, M. nitens, inflores-cence; 221, M. nitens, spikclet; 222, 

 M. nitens, sterile lemma; 223, M. mutica, spikelet; 224, M. mutica, inflorescence 



Melica nitens Nutt. 

 Tall Mclic Grass (Figs. 219, 221, and 222) 



Culms 2.5 to 4 feet tall, rather stout; sheaths smooth, blades 4 to 8 

 inches long, 4 to 8 mm. wide ; panicle usually spreading, with numerous 

 spikelets; spikelets 10 to 12 mm. long, usually 3-flowered; lemmas 7 

 to 9 mm. long, rough with thin, transparent border; glumes unequal 

 and the first glume shorter than the second, both considerably shorter 

 than the spikelet. 



