42 GRASSES OF SCOTLAND. 



27. Melica uniflora.* 

 Wood Melic- Grass. 



Specific Characters. — Infloresence simple panicled. Calyx con- 

 taining but one perfect floret. (Plate XVIII.) 



Description. — It grows from twelve to eighteen inches high. The 

 root is perennial, creeping. Stem erect, round, slender, roughish on 

 the upper part, bearing four or five leaves, with rough striated sheaths; 

 the upper part of the sheaths furnished with a few slender white 

 hairs ; upper sheath shorter than its leaf, crowned with a short obtuse 

 membranous ligule with a small slender point or bristle projecting 

 from one side. Leaves long, flat, thin, of a bright green, acute, 

 flaccid, finely striated, roughish on both surfaces as well as on the 

 edges. Inflorescence simple panicled. Panicle slightly drooping, 

 with few spikelets on long, slender, roughish footstalks ; the branches 

 long, slender, arising from the rachis usually in pairs. Spikelets 

 erect, of an ovate form, of one perfect and one imperfect awnless 

 floret, concealed within the calyx. Calyx of two rather unequal 

 smooth glumes, (Fig. 1), tinged with reddish-brown, five -ribbed, the 

 lower glume the smaller. Floret of two palese, (Fig. 2), the outer 

 palea broad, obtuse, smooth, seven-ribbed. Inner palea broad, oval, 

 rather shorter than the outer palea, with two green marginal ribs 

 minutely fringed. The imperfect floret on a long smooth footstalk, 

 not extending beyond the lower fforet. 



Ohs. — Melica uniflora is distinguished from Melica nutans in the 

 panicle being branched ; the lower spikelets on long footstalks ; 

 calyx containing but one perfect floret and an abortive one ; — whereas 

 in BI. nutans all the spikelets arise immediately from the rachis on 

 short footstalks all nearly of equal length. Calyx containing tivo per- 

 fect florets and an abortive one. 



The most natui-al place of growth of this grass is in rocky moist 

 shady woods having a clayey soil, situated about 300 feet above the 

 sea. It is frequent in England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, France, 

 and Italy. It has not been found in America, or further north than 



« Melica tinifora, I.inii. Smith, Hooker, Grcville, Lindley, Koch. 

 4 



