Melica stricta
Rock melic, Rock Melic
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Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Melica stricta (Rock melic) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by highest elevation range and V-shaped spikelets diagnostic.
Rock melic is a California native perennial grass found in the Klamath Ranges, northern California Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi Mountains, southern Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, Warner Mountains, eastern Sierra Nevada, and desert mountains in open sites, conifer forest, and rocky alpine areas at elevations of 1,200 to 3,350 meters. Flowering from June to August, this grass produces small spikelets in tight, V-shaped clusters with translucent spreading glumes. Growing in dense tufts with stems 10 to 90 centimeters tall, it forms compact clumps without underground corms. Its leaf blades are narrow, measuring 1.5 to 5 millimeters wide, with ligules 2.5 to 5 millimeters long. The spikelets contain 2 to 4 florets, with lemmas 8 to 16 millimeters long and lacking awns.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Co-occurs with 11 species; highest elevation range and V-shaped spikelets diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open sites, conifer forest, rocky areas in alpine
Elevation: 1200-3350 m
California counties: Fresno, Mono, Sierra, Tulare, Inyo, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Nevada, Ventura, Alpine, Tehama, Kern, Mariposa, Glenn, Madera, Modoc, Trinity, Tuolumne, San Diego, Amador, Butte, El Dorado, Humboldt, Lassen, Placer, Santa Barbara, Plumas, Mendocino, Lake, San Benito, Siskiyou, San Francisco
Outside California: Oregon, Utah
Bloom period
Melica stricta blooms Jun-Aug.
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 stricta native to California?
Yes. Melica stricta is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Melica stricta bloom?
Melica stricta blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Melica stricta grow?
Melica stricta occurs in Fresno, Mono, Sierra, Tulare, Inyo, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Nevada and other counties, at elevations of 1200-3350 m.
What plant family does Melica stricta belong to?
Melica stricta is in the Poaceae family, genus Melica.
What habitat does Melica stricta grow in?
Melica stricta grows in Open sites, conifer forest, rocky areas in alpine.
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.