Melica uniflora. Single-floweredMelic-grass. 
MELICA Lin. Gen. PI. Triandria Digynia. 
Cal. bivalvis, biflorus, rudimentum flofis inter flofculos. 
Rail Syn. Gen. 27. Herbie graminiFolue flore imperfect o culmifERsE. 
MELICA uniflora panicula rara, calycibus bifloris, flofculo altero hermaphrodito, altero neutro. Retzii 
Fafc. Obf. Bot. 1. p. 10 11. 9. 
GRAMEN avenaceum locuftis rarioribus. Batth. Pin. p. 10. 
GRAMEN avenaceum fpica mutica rariore gluma. Hift. Ox. III. 1 . 7» f. 49. 
GRAMEN' avenaceum nemorenfe, glumis rarioribus ex fufeo xerampelinis. Rail Syn. p. 463. 
GRAMEN avenaceum rariore grano nemorenfe danicum. Lob. Ad. P. Alt. p. 465. ic I. B. p. 434. 
MELICA nutans petalis imberbibus, panicula fecunda nutante, gluma uniflora. Hudjon. FI. Angi. ed. 2. 
P- 37 ‘ Fight foot FI. Scot. p. 95. 
RADIX perennis, fibrola. ¥ ROOT perennial and fibrous. 
CULMUS (implex, fefquipedalis et ultra, foliofus, ubi| STALK Ample, a foot and a half or more in height, 
vaginis foliorum tegitur fubangulofus, 1 caber, ? leafy, where it is covered with the (heaths of 
ftriatus, ad balm fordidfe purpureus. | the leaves fomewhat angular, rough and ftria- 
¥ ted, at bottom of a dull purple colour. 
FOLIA caulina quinque circiter, e flavo viridia, plana, | LEAVES of the {talk about five in number, of a vel- 
lineam unam cum dimidia aut duas fere lata, f 
in acutum mucronem fenfim attenuata, fidi-? 
giti deorfum ducantur afpera, fuperne fubpi- 1 
lofa, marginibus ad lentem minutifilme ferru- ¥ 
latis, membrana breviffima, vix ulla, at quod | 
valde fingulare, et notatu dignum, foliolum 4 
ovato-acuminatum, eredum, coloratum, ex | 
anteriore parte oris vaginae oritur, nemine ante- 4 
hac, ne cl. Retzio obiervatum, fig. 8. 
I 
% 
Ie 
lowilh-green colour, flat, a line and a half or 
almoft two lines broad, terminating gradually 
in a point, rough if drawn backwards betwixt 
the fingers, on the upper fide* fomewhat hairy, 
the edges of the leaves when magnified finely 
ferrated, the membrane very (hort, fcarce any ; 
but what is very remarkable and worthy no- 
tice, a lmall ovate leaf with a Jong point, up- 
right, and coloured, rifes from the fore-part 
of the mouth of the (heath, till now unob- 
. ferved even by the celebrated Retzius, fig. 8. 
FLORES paniculati. _ _ | FLOWERS growing in a panicle. 
PANICULA rara, pedunculis inferioribus geminis nlterof PANICLE loofe, the lowermoft flower- ft.iiks growing 
breviore, trifloris, etiam feptem aut ofto floris | two together, the one (horter than the other. 
in hortis culta, fuperioribus folitariis. 
bearing three flowers, and even •{even or eight 
4 when cultivated in gardens, the uppermoft 
4 growing fingly. 
"i SPICULE (landing on little foot- (talks, at firft of a 
dark purple colour, beardlefs, each containing 
two flowers. 
CALYX: a Glume of two valves, containing two 
flowers, coloured and (hining, the outermoft 
valve ovate, hollow, having five ribs, and ter- 
minated by a (hort point, the innermoft lead, 
ovato- lanceolate, and three-ribbed, fig 1. 
FLOWER : the hermaphrodite one feftile, the outer 
valve large, bellying out, with its edges em- 
bracing the inner one, which is flattilh, the 
edges membranous and turned back, elpecially 
near the bafe, fig. 2, 3. 
the fierile flower Handing on a foot-ftalk, and 
nnperfedt, fig. 9. ; the fame unfolded, fig. 1 o. 
STAMINA : three Filaments, capillary and (hort. 
Anthers yellowilh and forked at each end! 
fig- 4- 
PISTILLUM : Germen ovate, fmooth, fliining, and 
yellowifh. Styles two, ieparate at bottom 
NECTARIUM: SquamuU minima,' Integra, atl bafin | NECTAR yI Ifvety minute, rathe fc af thereof 
germinis, fig. 6. \ the germen, Jig. 6. 
SEMEN ovanim, mtjdum, majufcnlum, nigricans, | SEED ovate, (hining, rather large and blackifli, ft. 7 , 
. This elegant fpecies, long fince noticed and deferibed by many of the old Botanirts, particularly Bay has been 
overlooked by Linnasus. Profeilor Retzius *, in the firft fafcicnlus of his botanical obfetvajions, deferibes ft 
anew-, and gives it the name of umflon, .having found each lpicula to contain only one perfefl flower. This name 
we therefore mod readily adopt. Mr. Hudson, in his Flora Anglica, has miftaken this plant for the ,ma,, Z 
Linnaeus; and to the nutans hn^ given the name of montana. r ns 0i 
0tllTr he rafl'es aCy ftrlk ‘" S Col °"‘' of itS P aniclc ’ j oiued t0 its P lacc rf growth, readily diftinguifhes It from all our 
It grows plentifully in mod of the woods near London, and flowers in May and the beginning of June. 
* Andr. Joh, Retzii Fafciculus Obfervationum Butanicaruni primus, cum figuris eneis, Lipfix, 177 9 , 
.SPICULAT pedicellate, primo atro-purpurea:, mutica?, 
biflora:. 
CALYX : Gluma bivalvis, biflorus, coloratus, nitidus, 
valvula exteriore majore, ovata, concava, quin- 
quenervi, fubmucronata, interiore minore, 
ovato-lanceolata, trinervi, fig. \. 
FLOS bermaphrod. feflilis, valvula exterior magna, ven- 
tricola, marginibus interiorem ampledens, qua: 
planiufcula, marginibus membranaceis re- 
flexis, praecipue prope bafin, fig. 2, 3. 
fieri lis pedunculatus, imperfectus, fig. 9. ; idem 
evolutus, fig. 10. 
STAMINA: Filamenta tria, capillaria, brevia. An- 
therje flavefeentes utrinque bifurcate, fig. 4. 
PISTILLUM : Germen ovatum, glabrum, nitidum, 
flavefeens. Styli duo bafi difereta, divari- ! 
cata. Stigmata villofa, fig. 5. 
