Melica harfordii
Harford melic
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Berger · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Melica harfordii (Harford melic) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by ciliate lemma margins.
Harford melic is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, the high Cascade Range, northern and central Sierra Nevada, San Joaquin Valley, northern San Francisco Bay, and northern South Coast Ranges in dry slopes and conifer forest at elevations up to 2,600 meters. Flowering from May to July, this grass produces delicate spikelets 7 to 20 millimeters long with soft, pale flowers. Growing with stems 35 to 120 centimeters tall and without a corm, it forms an upright, compact grass with slender branches. Its leaves have narrow blades 2 to 6 millimeters wide with short ligules 1 to 2 millimeters long, and distinctive lemmas with soft ciliate margins and short awns 1 to 4 millimeters long. The plant's spikelets feature 2 to 6 florets with slightly unequal glumes that persist through the growing season.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Co-occurs with 11 species; ciliate lemma margins are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry slopes, conifer forest
Elevation: < 2600 m
California counties: Humboldt, Trinity, Marin, Sonoma, Shasta, Butte, Siskiyou, Del Norte, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Nevada, Mariposa, Sacramento, El Dorado, Fresno, Inyo, Tuolumne, Sierra, Placer, Lake, Plumas, Yuba, Glenn, Mendocino, San Luis Obispo, Tehama, Colusa, Napa, Mono, Amador
Outside California: British Columbia
Bloom period
Melica harfordii blooms May-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Oloptum: Melica has club-shaped sterile floret tips; Oloptum has normal pointed spikelets and needle-like rolled leaves.; vs Poa: Melica has club-shaped sterile florets at tips; Poa has all fertile florets and boat-shaped lemmas with cobwebby hairs.; vs Lolium: Melica has club-shaped floret tips and closed leaf sheaths; Lolium has edgewise spikelets and split leaf sheaths.; vs Festuca: Melica has club-shaped sterile florets; Festuca has all fertile florets and open (split) leaf sheaths.; vs Ehrharta: Melica has club-shaped sterile florets at top; Ehrharta has hardened sterile florets at bottom of spikelet.
Frequently asked questions
Is Melica harfordii native to California?
Yes. Melica harfordii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Melica harfordii bloom?
Melica harfordii blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Melica harfordii grow?
Melica harfordii occurs in Humboldt, Trinity, Marin, Sonoma, Shasta, Butte, Siskiyou, Del Norte and other counties, at elevations of < 2600 m.
What plant family does Melica harfordii belong to?
Melica harfordii is in the Poaceae family, genus Melica.
What habitat does Melica harfordii grow in?
Melica harfordii grows in dry slopes, conifer forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.