Melica altissima found in Cambridgeshire (v.c.29)

摘要

Several clumps of Melica altissima L. 'Atropurpurea' were found at the edge of waste ground, by the recently demolished buildings of Unwins seed merchants, Impington Lane, Histon, Cambs. v.c.29 (GR: TL44306344) in November 2008 by J.D. Shanklin, (confirmed by A.C. Leslie) (CGE) (see photo, Colour Section Plate 4). The species maybe distinguished as follows: A tufted, shortly rhizomatous perennial, with leafy stems 60-150cm tall. Lvs 10-23 x 5-15mm, flat, floppy, rough below and on the sheaths. Flowers in dense, narrowly cylindrical, usually one-sided spikes, 10-20cm long, interrupted below; spikelets numerous, oblong, large (7-12mm long), with one to two fertile florets, eventually nodding; glumes 7.0-10.5mm, sub-acute to obtuse, with broad hyalinemargins; fertile lemmas pointed, more-or-less equalling the glumes, hairless but minutely rough; sterile lemmas much smaller.