Melica rectiflora

Melica rectiflora is a species of grass in the family Poaceae. It is native to Greece and Crete.

Description
The species is perennial with short rhizomes and 20 – long culms. The leaf-sheaths are tubular and are closed on one end with its surface being glabrous. The leaf-blades surface is scaberulous and rough with its size being are 5 – long by 2 – wide. Eciliated membrane have a ligule which is truncate. The panicle is contracted, linear, 6 – long. The main panicle branches are indistinct, scaberulous and are racemose.

Spikelets are oblong, solitary, 4 - 7 mm long and have linear pedicels. Besides the pedicels, the spikelets have 1 fertile floret which is diminished at the apex. The sterile florets are 2–3 in number and are 2 - 3 mm long, barren, oblong and clumped. Both the upper and lower glumes are keelless, membranous, oblong and are purple coloured. Other features are different though; Lower glume is 3 – long with an acute apex while the upper one is 4 – long with an obtuse apex.

Its lemma have smooth surface and an obtuse apex while the fertile lemma is chartaceous, elliptic, keelless, and 5 – long. Its palea have thick keels and is elliptic and 2-veined. Flowers are fleshy, oblong and truncate with 2 lodicules. They also grow together and have 3 anthers which are 1.5 - 2.3 mm long. The fruits have caryopsis with additional pericarp and have linear hilum. They are also ellipsoid and are 3.5 mm long.