Torrey's melicgrass facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Torrey's melicgrass
Scientific classification
Genus:	Melica
Species:	torreyana

Torrey's melicgrass (scientific name: Melica torreyana) is a type of grass. It is a special plant that grows naturally only in one specific area.

Where Torrey's Melicgrass Grows

This unique grass is found only in California, USA. When a plant or animal lives only in one place, we say it is endemic to that area. Torrey's melicgrass likes to grow in different kinds of places. You can find it in chaparral areas, which are like shrublands. It also grows in open grasslands. This grass prefers hillsides and mountain habitats. It lives mostly in the northern and central parts of California.

What Torrey's Melicgrass Looks Like

Melica torreyana is a perennial grass. This means it lives for more than two years. It grows in thick groups, forming dense clumps. These clumps are made of many stems. The stems can grow quite tall, up to about one meter (or three feet) long.

Flowers of the Grass

The flowers of Torrey's melicgrass grow in a special arrangement called an inflorescence. For this grass, the inflorescence is a narrow, long cluster of tiny flowers. These small flower parts are called spikelets. Each spikelet is very small, less than one centimeter long.