Melica Nutans. Mountain Melic-Grass. 
MELICA Linn.Gen.PL Triandria Digynia* 
Cal. 2-vaIvis, 2-florus. Corpufculum pedicellatum inter flofculos. HeB width 
monophyllum. Stamina bafi dilatata. Linn. Syfi. Nat. ed. 13. Gmelin. 
Raii Syn. Gen. 27. Herb.e graminifoli/E flore imperfecto culmifer.®. 
MELICA nutans, petalis imberbibus, panicula nutante fimplici. Linn. Syfi. Vegetal/, cd. 14. Murr. 
p. 112. Sp. Pl. ed. 3. p. 98. Flor. Succ. cd. 2. p. 2 6 . Scopoli Carn. ed. 2. -p. 67. Lightf 
Scot. v. 1. p. 95. Leers Herb. p. 25. Schreb. Agrofi, p. 63. tc. 6. 
MELICA montana petalis imberbibus, panicula coar&ata, fecunda, erefta, fubfimplici, floribus pendulis. 
Hudfon FI. Angi. ed. 2. p. 37. 
POA panicula laxa, locuftis nutantibus dian this,, alterno flofculo imperfe&o. Haller Hijl. n. 1472. 
GRAMEN montanum avenaceum, locuftis rubris. Baub. Pin. 10. 
RADIX perennis, fibrcfa, fubrepens. fi 
CULMI pedales aut fefquipedales, fimplices, ere&i, fi 
folioli, fcabri, ftnati, fubangulofi, inferne fi 
purpurei. Y 
FOLIA ad bafin culmi brevia, fquamseformia, fufcef- a 
centia, ficut afcendunt, longiora et anguftiora fi 
evadunt ; fcabriufcula, lineam cum dimidia fi 
lata. fi 
LIGULA nulla. 0 
PANICULA bi-triuncialis, fubnutans, fecunda, fimplex, fi 
vel ramofa ; pedunculis capillaribus, radii a 
fubappreflis, flexuofis, ereftis, ad lentem vil- X 
lofis, prsecipue ad flores ubi paululum in- fi 
craflantur. 0 
SPICULAl plerumque triflorze, rudimento flofculi fi 
pedicellato clavato, Jig. 3. 
CALYX : Gluma bivalvis, valvulis imequalibus, ovatis, fi 
obtufis, obfolete nervofis, primo purpureis, fi 
demum fufcefcentibus. jig. 1. fi 
COROLLA : Gluma bivalvis, valvulis inaequalibus, fi 
exteriore magna, concava, ovata, multinervia, V 
nervis plerifque mediam valvulae vix attingen- fi 
tibus ; interiore lata, plana, multo breviore, a 
h- 2. .... fi 
STAMINA : Filamenta 3 capillaria, diftinfta ; fi 
Anthers flavae, Jig. 4. 8. fi 
GERMEN: lato-ovatum, pellucidum; Styli duo, fi 
inferne nudi, fuperne plumofi, patentes, jig. 5 
6- 9 ' 5 
NECTARIUM : Glumulte duas, carnofa;, truncatas, * 
fig- 7 - l 
ROOT perennial, fibrous, fomewhat creeping. 
STALKS a foot or a foot and a half high, Ample, 
upright, leafy, rough, ftriated, fomewhat 
angular, below purphlh. 
LEAVES at the bafe of the ftalk fhort, fcale-like, 
brownifh, as they afcend becoming longer 
and narrower, a line and a naif broad, and 
(lightly rough. 
MEMBRANE at the bafe of the leaf wanting. 
FANICLE two or three inches long, bending down a 
little, with the flowers inclining one way. 
Ample or branched ; peduncles capillary,, 
prefled to the rachis, crooked, upright, vil- 
lous if magnified, efpecially at the flower, 
where they are fomewhat thickened. 
SPICUL/E ufually three-flowered, rudiment of the 
floret forming a fort of club, jig. 3. 
CALYX : a Glume of two valves, valves unequal, 
ovate, blunt, faintly ribbed, at firft purple, 
laftly of a brownifh hue, jig. 1. 
COROLLA : a Glume of two valves, valves unequal, 
the outer one large, concave, ovate, many- 
ribbed, moft of the ribs fcarcely reaching 
half its length ; the inner one broad, flat, 
and much fhorter, fig. 2. 
STAMINA: 3 capillary Filaments, quite diftinft ; 
An the r.-e 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, flefliy, and truncated, 
A- 7 - 
This elegant fpecies of Melica inhabits rocky and fliady fituations in the more Northern parts of Europe ; 
Mr. Hudson mentions it as growing in the mountainous woods of Yorkftiire, Weftmoreland, and Cumberland ; 
Mr. Lightfoot plentifully in Scotland; we obferved it abundantly in Grafs-Wood, near Graflington, in the 
neighbourhood of Kilnfay, Yorkfliire, a moft romantic fpot, and fertile in rare plants. 
It flowers in July and Auguft. 
Mr. Lightfoot obferves that it varies with flowers nearly feflile, growing in a fpike inftead of a panicle. 
Leers defcription and delineation of the minute parts of the fru&ification in this fpecies, contrary to what 
we generally find in his excellent work, diftinguifhed and much depended on for its accuracy, are very erroneous ; 
the filaments are not united at the bafe, nor is the ne&arv formed of one entire circular piece, but of two' 
having the appearance indeed of one, feparable on a nice difle£Kon ; they do not entirely furround the germen ■ 
it is the more neceftary to notice this circumftance, as it appears to have miflead Profeflor Gmelin. who makes 
the NeBanum monophyllum a part of the generic chafer in the Melica. Profeflbr Schreber’s magnified 
reprelentation or the nectary, to which the lame fault is imputable, may have contributed its (hare alfo. 
Schreber, Haller, and Scheuc 
but it accords fo ill with it, both as to 
other plant. 
hzer, refer to the gramen montanum fpicatum of Clusius for our plant, 
figure and defcription, that we fufpeft that author muft have meant Tome’ 
be regarded^r ° Ut * ™ 0ts in ® »e ad mire d 
