Meliceae

The Meliceae are a tribe of grasses near the base of the Pooideae.[1] They include two relatively large genera, Melica (based on accounts in multiple regional floras) with about 80-90 species and Glyceria with about 55 species.[2] Its other genera are Koordersiochloa, Lycochloa, Pleuropogon, Schizachne, and Triniochloa.[3]

Meliceae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Clade: BOP clade
Subfamily: Pooideae
Supertribe: Melicodae
Tribe: Meliceae
Link ex Endl. (1830)
Genera

Distinguishing characteristics

Members of the Meliceae have closed leaf sheaths; lemma veins that do not or only scarcely converge distally; and short, truncate, lodicules. They differ from Bromeae, another tribe with closed leaf sheaths, in their glabrous ovaries as well as their lemma venation and short short lodicules. They also differ from other members of the Pooideae in having chromosome base numbers of 9, 10, and 8.

Geography and ecology

The Meliceae are most abundant in temperate regions of Eurasia but are also well represented in temperate regions of North and South America but there are great differences between the genera. Glyceria and Pleuropogon grow in wet areas, often in standing water; Melica and Schizachne tend to grow in dry, well-drained sites.

Economic importance

Members of the Meliceae have little economic importance. A few species of both Melica and Glyceria are grown as ornamentals; more merit consideration but caution should be used. Some species of Glyceria, notably G. declinata, are invasive.

References
  1. Bouchenak-Khelladi Y, Salamin N, Savolainen V, et al. (May 2008). "Large multi-gene phylogenetic trees of the grasses (Poaceae): progress towards complete tribal and generic level sampling". Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 47 (2): 488–505. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.01.035. PMID 18358746.
  2. Tsvelev, N.N. 2006. Synopsis of the mannagrass genus, Glyceria (Poaceae). Bot. Zhurn. (Moscow and Leningrad). 2006. 91(2):255–276
  3. Soreng, Robert J.; Peterson, Paul M.; Romaschenko, Konstantin; Davidse, Gerrit; Teisher, Jordan K.; Clark, Lynn G.; Barberá, Patricia; Gillespie, Lynn J.; Zuloaga, Fernando O. (2017). "A worldwide phylogenetic classification of the Poaceae (Gramineae) II: An update and a comparison of two 2015 classifications". Journal of Systematics and Evolution. 55 (4): 259–290. doi:10.1111/jse.12262. ISSN 1674-4918. open access
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