Melica penicillaris

Melica penicillaris is a species of grass in the Poaceae family. It is endemic to Inner Anatolia, Turkey, where it grows on bushy hills, rocky slopes, limestone surfaces, and in gullies at 1000 - 1800 m above sea level.

Description
The species is perennial and caespitose with short rhizomes and 50 – long erect culms. The leaf-sheaths are smooth, tubular and are closed on one end. The leaf-blades are flat and are 10 – long by 3 – wide. They also have a rough and scabrous surface. The eciliated margin have a ligule which is 2.5 – long. The panicle is linear, open, secund, and is 8 – long by 1.5 - 3 cm wide. The main branches of the panicle carry 30–90 fertile spikelets which are oblong, solitary, 9 – long and are pediceled. Besides the pedicels, the spikelets have 2-4 fertile florets which are diminished at the apex. The species' also have 2–3 sterile florets which are 2 mm long, barren, cuneate, and clumped.

Both the upper and lower glumes are keelless, membranous, oblong and have obtuse apexes. The size is different though; Lower glume is 6 - 9 mm long, while the upper one is 8 - 12 mm long. Its lemma have pilose surface, obtuse apex and either white or yellow coloured hairs. The fertile lemma is chartaceous, elliptic, keelless, and is 8 - 10 mm long. The species' palea have ciliolated keels and is 2-veined. Flowers are fleshy, oblong and truncate. They also grow together, have 2 lodicules and 3 anthers. The fruits have caryopsis with additional pericarp and linear hilum.

Ecology
Melica penicillaris blooms from May to June.