Melica hitchcockii facts for kids

Melica hitchcockii is a type of grass. You can find it growing in Waterton Lakes Park in Alberta, Canada. It likes to grow in forests, especially near Cameron Lake, high up at about 5,600 feet (1,700 meters) above sea level.

What Does Melica hitchcockii Look Like?

This grass is a perennial plant, which means it lives for more than two years. It grows in clumps, forming a bunch of stems.

Stems and Leaves

Its main stems, called culms, are usually about 8 to 16 inches (20 to 40 cm) long. The leaves grow along the stem. Each leaf blade can be about 5 to 7 inches (12 to 17 cm) long and about 0.2 to 0.3 inches (5 to 7 mm) wide.

Flowers and Seeds

The grass has a flower cluster called a panicle. This panicle is narrow and can be about 3 to 5 inches (7 to 12 cm) long. It has small branches that hold a few tiny flower parts called spikelets.

Each spikelet is shaped like a spear and is about 0.6 inches (15 mm) long. Inside, there are fertile spikelets that grow on small stalks. The main part of the flower, called the lemma, has a bristle-like part called an awn that is about 0.4 inches (10 mm) long.

This grass also has 3 to 4 sterile florets. These are small, barren parts of the flower that are clumped together and are about 0.2 inches (5 mm) long. The protective coverings of the flower, called glumes, are thin and shaped like spears. The lower glume is about 0.3 inches (7 mm) long, and the upper glume is slightly longer at about 0.3 inches (8 mm). The tiny stem connecting the flower parts, called the rachilla, is covered with soft hairs. Each flower has three anthers, which are parts that produce pollen, and they are about 0.08 to 0.09 inches (2 to 2.3 mm) long.