Family |
Poaceae
Melica persica
Kunth
Melica persica Kunth
First published in Révis. Gramin. 1: 351 (1830).
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 1, pp. 92–93, especially p. 93 under Melica pannosa, Pl. XXVII, 4; 1966)
Description
Synonyms: Melica pannosa Boiss.; Melica cupani var. pannosa (Boiss.) Boiss.; Melica cupani var. viridis Boiss.
Life-form & habit: Perennial. Mouterde’s regional account under Melica pannosa describes densely long-haired stems and leaves.
Inflorescence & flowers: In the regional pannosa form, panicles are relatively dense and the lower glume is clearly one-third the length of the upper glume. Mouterde otherwise compares it with the preceding Melica account. His separately described viridis form has looser, slightly nodding panicles, slightly rolled leaves and a lower glume three-quarters the length of the upper one.
Flowering and habitat
Phenology: April–June in the pannosa account.
Habitat & elevation: Mountains and arid regions in the pannosa account.
Distribution
Lebanese distribution: Beqaa Kafra, recorded by Mouterde under Melica pannosa.
Syrian distribution: Zebdani, Jabal Halime, Souq Wadi Barada, Bessima, Jabal Qasyoun, Jabal Antar and Jabal Abou Qosh under Melica pannosa; Jabal Gharbi above Bloudane under M. cupani var. viridis.
Recorded locations: Sannine.
Native range: Afghanistan, China North-Central, China South-Central, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Lebanon-Syria, Manchuria, Nepal, North Caucasus, Pakistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Tadzhikistan, Tibet, Transcaucasus, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, West Himalaya.
⚠️ Taxonomic note:
Kew accepts Melica persica and includes M. pannosa and M. cupani var. viridis as synonyms. The morphology, flowering and regional records above retain Mouterde’s historical names and should not be read as a description of every form of M. persica. Mouterde’s geographically restricted pannosa account does not establish Lebanese endemism for the widespread accepted species. The online Lebanese endemic checklist could not be fully retrieved for verification. M. cupani and M. inaequiglumis are not treated here as synonyms of M. persica.