Ciliate melic
Melica ciliata
Synonyms: Melica bauhini, Melica lutescens, Melica colorata, Melica ciliata f. vulgaris, Melica nebrodensis, Melica caespitosa, Melica ciliata f. major, Melica balansae, Verinea pterostachys, Beckeria montana, Melica ciliata var. micrantha, Melica ciliata f. violacea, Melica ciliata subsp. monticola, Melica ciliata subsp. magnolii, Melica ciliata f. latifolia, Melica micrantha, Melica cretica var. laconiae, Melica ciliata var. graeca, Melica cretica subsp. brachyantha, Melica cretica f. laxiflora, Melica ciliata var. linnaei, Melica ciliata f. flavescens, Melica ciliata subsp. glauca, Melica ciliata var. macrostachya, Melica ciliata subvar. villiculmis, Melica ciliata f. planifolia, Melica magnolii, Melica pubescens, Melica cretica var. balansae, Melica ciliata var. nebrodensis, Melica monticola, Melica ciliata subsp. taurica, Melica tineoi, Melica ciliata var. tomentella, Melica ciliata var. pallida, Melica simulans, Melica ciliata f. puberula, Melica ciliata subsp. micrantha, Melica linnaei, Melica cappadocica, Lasiagrostis variegata, Melica cretica subsp. greuteri, Melica ciliata var. aequiglumis, Melica ciliata var. flavescens, Melica ciliata var. uniflora, Melica ciliata subsp. nebrodensis, Melica ciliata var. arenicola, Melica ciliata var. magnolii, Melica nebrodensis var. parlatorei, Dalucum ciliatum, Melica ciliata f. micrantha, Melica ciliata f. villiculmis, Melica glauca, Melica cristata, Melica benedictoi, Melica ciliata var. taurica, Melica ciliata var. laxiflora, Melica ciliata var. violacea, Claudia ciliata, Melica taurica subsp. monticola, Melica ciliata var. intermedia, Melica flavescens, Melica ciliata f. pillata, Melica ceretana, Melica cretica f. villigera, Melica ciliata var. brachyantha, Melica ciliata f. aequiglumis, Beckeria ciliata, Melica ciliata var. rupestris, Melica ciliata var. flaveola, Melica provincialis, Melica ciliata var. major, Melica ciliata var. biflora, Melica cretica var. major, Arundo ciliata, Melica cretica, Melica ciliata f. nebrodensis, Melica ciliata var. vulgaris, Melica ciliata f. pappii, Melica nebrodensis var. magnolii, Melica ciliata f. simplex, Melica cretica subsp. laxiflora, Melica ciliata var. bourgaei, Melica bossieri, Melica ciliata var. latifolia, Melica ciliata f. hirtella, Melica cretica subsp. monticola, Melica nebrodensis var. villigera, Melica taurica, Melica ciliata subsp. flavescens, Melica ciliata var. parlatorei, Melica ciliata var. elata
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Botanical Description
Melica ciliata, the hairy or silky-spike melic, is a tufted, deciduous perennial grass of the Poaceae family native to Europe, North Africa, and temperate Asia. From a base of short, slender rhizomes it produces dense clumps of upright, slender culms 50 to 100 centimetres tall, bearing flat to inrolled, stiff, grey-green leaf blades five to fifteen centimetres long. In late spring and early summer the inflorescence emerges as a contracted, spike-like panicle up to twenty centimetres in length, silvery-grey at first and turning straw-coloured at maturity. Each spikelet bears a single fertile floret with conspicuously long, silky-ciliate marginal hairs that give the panicle its soft, plumose appearance and characteristic shimmer in the wind. The plant favours dry, calcareous slopes, screes, and rocky pastures.
Cultural & Historical Context
Traditional American Uses
None Documented
Chemistry & External Identifiers
Important Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.