Melica torreyana
Torrey's melic
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Melica torreyana (Torrey's melic) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by decumbent stems and narrowest leaves diagnostic.
Torrey's melic is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range foothills, northern and central Sierra Nevada, Sutter Buttes, and central western California in chaparral and conifer forest at elevations below 1,600 meters. Flowering from March to June, this grass produces delicate spikelets 3.5 to 7 millimeters long with subtle pale green to light brown coloration. Growing with stems 30 to 100 centimeters tall, ranging from decumbent to fully erect, the plant forms loose grass clusters without underground corms. Its narrow leaf blades measure 1 to 2.5 millimeters wide, with short ligules 1 to 5 millimeters long. The inflorescence features branches with 4 to 38 spikelets, and its lemmas have a slightly scabrous surface with occasional hairs near the obtuse tip.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Co-occurs with 11 species; decumbent stems and narrowest leaves diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Chaparral, conifer forest
Elevation: < 1600 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, Sonoma, Lake, Napa, Butte, Alameda, Yolo, Marin, Santa Clara, Monterey, Contra Costa, Calaveras, Mendocino, Santa Cruz, El Dorado, San Mateo, Fresno, Placer, Yuba, Colusa, Amador, Glenn, Humboldt, Mariposa, Nevada, Solano, San Benito, San Francisco, Sutter, Sacramento, Tehama, Stanislaus, Los Angeles, Tuolumne, Orange, Santa Barbara, Kings, San Diego, Riverside, Ventura, Kern, Plumas
Bloom period
Melica torreyana blooms Mar-Jun.
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 torreyana native to California?
Yes. Melica torreyana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Melica torreyana bloom?
Melica torreyana blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Melica torreyana grow?
Melica torreyana occurs in San Luis Obispo, Sonoma, Lake, Napa, Butte, Alameda, Yolo, Marin and other counties, at elevations of < 1600 m.
What plant family does Melica torreyana belong to?
Melica torreyana is in the Poaceae family, genus Melica.
What habitat does Melica torreyana grow in?
Melica torreyana grows in Chaparral, conifer forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Melica aristata — Awned melic
- Melica bulbosa — Oniongrass
- Melica californica — California melic
- Melica frutescens — Woody melic
- Melica fugax — Little melic
- Melica geyeri — Geyer's oniongrass
- Melinis repens subsp. repens — Natal grass
- Melinis sp.
- Muhlenbergia alopecuroides — Wolftail
- Muhlenbergia andina — Foxtail muhly
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.