Melica

Species and hybrids include: • Melica altissima L. – Siberian melic grass • Melica amethystina Pourr. • Melica animarum Muj.-Sall. & M.Marchi • Melica argentata É.Desv. • Melica argyrea Hack. • Melica aristata Thurb. ex Bol. – bearded melic grass • Melica arzivencoi Valls & Barcellos • Melica × aschersonii M.Schulze • Melica bocquetii Talavera • Melica bonariensis Parodi • Melica brasiliana Ard. • Melica brevicoronata Roseng. • Melica bulbosa Porter & J.M.Coult. – oniongrass • Melica californica Scribn. – California melic grass • Melica canariensis W.Hempel • Melica capillaris Sol. • Melica cepacea (Phil.) Scribn. • Melica chilensis J.Presl • Melica ciliata L. – hairy melic, silky spike melic • Melica commersonii Nees ex Steud. • Melica cupani Guss. • Melica decipiens Caro • Melica dendroides Lehm. • Melica eligulata Boiss. • Melica eremophila Torres • Melica frutescens Scribn. – woody melicgrass • Melica fugax Bol. – little oniongrass • Melica geyeri Munro ex Bol. – Geyer's oniongrass • Melica glabrescens (Torres) Torres • Melica grandiflora Koidz. • Melica harfordii Bol. – Harford's oniongrass • Melica × haussknechtii W.Hempel • Melica hunzikeri Nicora • Melica hyalina Döll • Melica imperfecta Trin. – smallflower melic • Melica kozlovii Tzvelev • Melica lilloi Bech. • Melica longiflora Steud. • Melica longiligulata Z.L.Wu • Melica macra Nees • Melica minor Hack. ex Boiss. • Melica minuta L. – small melic • Melica mollis Phil. • Melica montezumae Piper – Montezuma melic • Melica mutica Walter – two-flower melic grass • Melica nitens (Scribn.) Nutt. ex Piper – three-flower melic grass • Melica nutans L. – mountain melic; nodding melic • Melica onoei Franch. & Sav. • Melica pappiana W.Hempel • Melica parodiana Torres • Melica patagonica Parodi • Melica paulsenii Phil. • Melica penicillaris Boiss. & Balansa • Melica persica Kunth • Melica picta K.Koch • Melica poecilantha É.Desv. • Melica porteri Scribn. • Melica przewalskyi Roshev. • Melica racemosa Thunb. • Melica radula Franch. • Melica rectiflora Boiss. & Heldr. • Melica rigida Cav. • Melica riograndensis Longhi-Wagner & Valls • Melica sarmentosa Nees • Melica scaberrima (Nees ex Steud.) Hook.f. • Melica scabra Kunth • Melica scabrosa Trin. • Melica schafkatii Bondarenko • Melica schuetzeana W.Hempel • Melica secunda Regel • Melica serrana Muj.-Sall. & M.Marchi • Melica smirnovii Tzvelev • Melica smithii (Porter ex A.Gray) Vasey – Smith's melicgrass • Melica spartinoides L.B.Sm. • Melica spectabilis Scribn. – purple oniongrass • Melica stricta Bol. – rock melic grass • Melica stuckertii Hack. • Melica subflava Z.L.Wu & • Melica subulata (Griseb.) Scribn. – Alaska oniongrass • Melica tangutorum Tzvelev • Melica taylorii W.Hempel • Melica teneriffae Hack. ex Christ • Melica tenuis Arechav. • Melica × thuringiaca Rauschert • Melica tibetica Roshev. • Melica torreyana Scribn. – Torrey's melic • Melica transsilvanica Schur • Melica turczaninowiana Ohwi • Melica × tzvelevii W.Hempel • Melica uniflora Retz. • Melica violacea Cav. • Melica virgata Turcz. ex Trin. • Melica × weinii W.Hempel • Melica yajiangensis Z.L.Wu ==Phylogeny and classification==

Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear (ITS, ETS) and plastid (trnL–F) DNA sequences have resolved Melica into eight major clades corresponding to infrageneric sections: • Melica sect. Melica • sect. Agonomelica • sect. Bromelica • sect. Cupani • sect. Dalycum • sect. Melicella • sect. Melicula • sect. Uniflorae The species Melica uniflora is identified as the earliest-diverging lineage within the genus. Phylogenetic evidence also supports the inclusion of previously segregated genera such as Bromelica within Melica. ==Cytogenetics and genome evolution==

Species of Melica are characterized by relatively uniform chromosome numbers. Most species are diploid with a chromosome number of 2n = 18 and a basic chromosome number of x = 9. Polyploidy occurs in some taxa but is comparatively rare within the genus. Genome size studies indicate that Melica species possess small genomes with moderate but significant variation among phylogenetic lineages. Genome sizes are generally stable within species but differ between sections, suggesting that gradual changes in DNA content have contributed to diversification. Compared to related genera such as Glyceria and Schizachne, Melica exhibits higher DNA content and a reduced basic chromosome number, indicating that major genomic changes likely occurred early in the evolution of the genus. ==Biogeography==

Phylogenetic and distributional evidence suggests that Melica likely originated in Europe to western Asia, where early-diverging lineages such as Melica uniflora are found. The genus exhibits geographically structured lineages, including Eurasian groups distributed across Europe, the Mediterranean, and eastern Asia, a North American lineage corresponding largely to sect. Bromelica, and a South American lineage corresponding to sect. Melicula. These patterns are consistent with regional diversification and historical long-distance dispersal events. ==References==