About Melica minuta L.
Melica minuta L. is a perennial species. It produces culms that are 20–50 centimetres (7.9–19.7 in) long. Both leaf-sheaths and leaf-blades have glabrous surfaces, though the two structures have other differing features: leaf-sheaths are tubular and closed at one end, while leaf-blades are 1–2 millimetres (0.039–0.079 in) wide and also hairy. A 3.5 millimetre (0.14 in) long ligule sits on an eciliated margin. The panicle is linear, open, and nodding, measuring 3–12 centimetres (1.2–4.7 in) long, with spread-out main panicle branches. The panicle carries 7–30 fertile spikelets. Spikelets are oblong, solitary, pediceled, 7–9 millimetres (0.28–0.35 in) long, and hold 2 fertile florets that are diminished at the apex. There are also 2 to 3 sterile florets, which are barren, cuneate, and clumped. Both lower and upper glumes are keelless, membranous, oblong, and have acute apexes, but differ in size: the lower glume is 5–7 millimetres (0.20–0.28 in) long, while the upper glume is 6.5–8 millimetres (0.26–0.31 in) long. Lemmas have a scaberulous surface; the fertile lemma is chartaceous, keelless, oblong, ovate, and matches the upper glume in size. The lemma has an acute apex, and the associated palea is 2-veined. Flowers are fleshy, oblong, truncate, grow clustered together, and have 2 lodicules and 3 anthers. Fruits are caryopses that are 2.5–3 millimetres (0.098–0.118 in) long, with an additional pericarp and a linear hilum.
