Purple oniongrass facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Purple oniongrass |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Melica
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| Species: |
spectabilis
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Melica spectabilis is a cool type of grass often called purple oniongrass or showy oniongrass. It gets its name because its base looks a bit like a small onion! This plant is known for its pretty purple-banded flowers.
Where Does Purple Oniongrass Grow?
This special grass naturally grows in western North America. You can find it from British Columbia in Canada. It also grows all the way down to northern California in the United States. You might also spot it in the Rocky Mountains. Purple oniongrass loves places that are a bit wet. It often grows in damp meadows, forests, and other areas high up in the mountains.
What Does Purple Oniongrass Look Like?
Melica spectabilis is a perennial grass. This means it lives for more than two years. It can be quite short, less than 10 centimetres (3.9 in) (about 4 inches) tall. But it can also grow much taller, almost a whole meter (about 3 feet) high!
This grass grows from special underground parts. It has rhizomes, which are like underground stems. It also has round, onion-shaped corms. These corms help the plant store food and water. The plant's flowers grow in a narrow cluster. This cluster is called an inflorescence. Each flower part, called a spikelet, is green. But it has cool purple bands spaced evenly along it.
