Melica imperfecta
Little california melica, Little California Melica
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Melica imperfecta (Little california melica) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by smallest spikelets and low elevation range diagnostic.
Little california melica is a California native perennial found in northern Coast Ranges, central and southern Sierra Nevada, Sutter Buttes, central Western California, southwestern California, and desert mountains in dry rocky hillsides, chaparral, and woodland at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces delicate light-colored spikelets 3 to 7 millimeters long with subtle green to tan flowers. Growing with slender stems 35 to 120 centimeters tall without a corm, it develops sparse branching inflorescences 5 to 36 centimeters long. Its leaf blades are narrow, measuring 1 to 6 millimeters wide with short ligules 0.8 to 6.5 millimeters long. The plant's lemmas are 3 to 7 millimeters long, glabrous or slightly scabrous, with acute to obtuse tips.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Co-occurs with 11 species; smallest spikelets and low elevation range diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry rocky hillsides, chaparral, woodland
Elevation: < 1500 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, Fresno, San Bernardino, San Diego, Los Angeles, Kern, Orange, Riverside, Ventura, Tulare, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Inyo, Imperial, San Mateo, Santa Clara, San Benito, Alameda, San Francisco, Tuolumne, Contra Costa, Calaveras, Lake, Madera, Sutter, Mariposa, Marin, Merced, Napa, Trinity, Sonoma, Amador, Nevada, El Dorado, Alpine, Sierra, Solano, Stanislaus, Glenn, Yolo
Outside California: Nevada, Arizona, Baja California
Bloom period
Melica imperfecta blooms Apr-May.
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 imperfecta native to California?
Yes. Melica imperfecta is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Melica imperfecta bloom?
Melica imperfecta blooms Apr-May.
Where in California does Melica imperfecta grow?
Melica imperfecta occurs in San Luis Obispo, Fresno, San Bernardino, San Diego, Los Angeles, Kern, Orange, Riverside and other counties, at elevations of < 1500 m.
What plant family does Melica imperfecta belong to?
Melica imperfecta is in the Poaceae family, genus Melica.
What habitat does Melica imperfecta grow in?
Melica imperfecta grows in dry rocky hillsides, chaparral, woodland.
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.