Melica nitens (Scribn.).
Threeflower Melic

Habit: 		Tufted perennials with rhizomes and rather long and numerous roots.
Culms: 		80-120 cm. high, erect, simple, often bulbous at the base.
Blades: 	15-30 cm. long, 4-12 mm. wide, narrowed towards the base, acuminate, rough above,
		smooth or rough below, usually soft, flat leaves.
Sheaths: 	Overlapping, glabrous or scabrous, grown together.
Ligule: 	Membranous, lacerate, less than 1 mm. long.
Inflorescence: 	Panicle pyramidal, open, 8-25 cm. long, the slender spreading
		branches solitary or in pairs, simple or sparingly branched, naked at the
		base, spikelets racemose, hanging by slender, pendulous pedicels, abruptly
		bent, enlarged and pubescent at the apex.
Spikelets: 	10-12 mm. long, usually 3-flowered; rather few, erect or nodding,
		at first terete, finally spreading.
Glumes: 	Membranous or hyaline, unequal in length, broad at top, thin,
		the first at least 5-nerved, about 7 mm. long, second about 9 mm. long, 5-nerved, obtuse.
Lemmas: 	5-7-nerved, scabrous, lower about 9 mm. long with palea 7 mm.,
		the upper about 7 mm. long with palea about 5 mm. long, obtuse; rachilla
		extended bearing 2 or 3 club-shaped convolute lemmas.
Palea: 		Shorter than the lemma, 2-keeled, broader at the top, pubescent on the marginal nerves.
Habitat: 	Rocky woods.  May-June.
Kansas Range:	East third and Finney county.
Use: 		Palatable, but not sufficiently abundant to be valuable.