''Melica argyrea'' is a species of

grass Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family (biology), family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and spe ...

found in

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

(

Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande do Sul (, ; ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative units of Brazil#List, fifth-most populous state and the List of Brazilian s ...

), and

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

Description

The

glume In botany, a glume is a bract (leaf-like structure) below a spikelet in the inflorescence (flower cluster) of grass Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family (biology), family of monocotyledonous flow ...

s are long and are erect. It has no lateral branches. Leaf-sheaths are tubular for majority of the length and can be scabrous. They are also glabrous or pilose on the bottom and are in length. Leaf-blades could be either filiform or linear and sometimes even involute or convolute depending on the gender. The leaves themselves are long and wide. As with leaf-sheaths the leaf-blades are also pilose but hairy sometimes on one side or on both (depending on the gender). The leaf-blade margins are always ciliated. The

panicle In botany, a panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a p ...

is open, ovate and is long. The main branches are spread out, with the panicle axis being scabrous just like the branches. Pedicels are curved, filiform,

glabrous Glabrousness () is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes, or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of a plant or animal, or be due to loss because of a physical condition, ...

and have fertile

spikelet A spikelet, in botany, describes the typical arrangement of the inflorescences of grasses, sedges and some other monocots. Each spikelet has one or more florets. The spikelets are further grouped into panicles or spikes. The part of the sp ...

s on them. Spikelets are compressed, obovate and are in length. They carry 1 fertile floret which is

callus A callus (: calluses) is an area of thickened and sometimes hardened skin that forms as a response to repeated friction, pressure, or other irritation. Since repeated contact is required, calluses are most often found on the feet and hands, b ...

and glabrous. Florets have lanceolated lemma which is long and wide. It is also chartaceous and way thinner above and where margins are. Lemma hairs long while it apex is obtuse. It palea is long and have 2 veines. The palea keels are ciliolate while it surface is scaberulous. Apical florets are in length and are barren, sterile and have a cuneated clump. Glumes are thinner than fertile lemma and could exceed florets apex. The lower [glume can either be flabellate or obovate and is long. It is also length of upper glume and is membranous and thinner above. It is even much thinner on the margins. It has no keels but is 5-7 veined. The apex of the lower glume is erose and obtuse. The upper glume is lanceolated and is in length. Just like lower glume it doesn't have keels and is membranous, but have veins which are 3-5. The upper apex is either acute or obtuse.

Ecology

''Melica argyrea'' is quite common in grasslands, but is almost rare in the mountains. Flowers bloom from August to November.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q13423978 Melica, argyrea Flora of Argentina Flora of Brazil Flora of Uruguay Taxa named by Eduard Hackel