Melica uniflora

Einblütiges Melick ( Melica uniflora )

The bloom Melick ( Melica uniflora ) is a plant of the family Gramineae ( Poaceae ).

Description

The bloom Melick has a creeping base axis with long streamers. Of these go from 30 to 45 centimeters high stalks. The above-ground parts die off in the winter, the buds form on the underground stems. The simple leaves are fresh green, thin and limp. The leaf sheaths are fused, the ligule a ring. At the top sheet of the ligule extended along the straw on the opposite side of the leaf blade.

The panicle is open and has long, upright branches. These carry a few large spikelets. At their husks fall on the curved, red-brown glumes, while the lemmas are colored green. Each spikelet has only two flowers, a lower and an upper sterile hermaphrodite. The husks of the sterile flower are fused to a bulbous body. The flowering period extends from May and June.

The grain ripens in summer and coincides with the sterile flower from the glumes. The husks of this flower contain oil which is consumed by ants, thus contributing to myrmecochory.

Similar Species

From similar nodding Melick ( Melica nutans ) and the Colorful Melick ( Melica picta) it differs mainly by the upright spikelets and the spreading panicle. The Eyelash Melick ( Melica ciliata ) and the Transylvanian Melick ( Melica transsilvanica ) have an even thicker, walzliche Ährenrispe and lemmas which are ciliated on the edge long.

Occurrence

The bloom Melick is widespread in Europe and the Middle East. In Germany it is usually quite often, but missing, for example, in the southeast. It grows best in rich soils in deciduous and mixed forests. In ancient beech forests, sometimes it forms large carpets, when the trees let through enough light. Lehmzeiger. Kennart the Melick - Buchwald ( Melico Fagetum ).