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Mountain Melick

Mountain Melick

Melica nutans

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How common: Very common

Mountain Melick is a slender perennial grass of rich, light woods. Its narrow flower cluster hangs to one side, giving the plant a nodding look. It is a familiar woodland grass across much of Europe and Asia, often along paths, clearings and woodland meadows.

Did you know?

  • The tiny flower husks are often bluish‑purple with pale tips.
  • It spreads by long creeping stems, forming loose patches in shady woods.

About the species

Identification

30–70 cm tall, with smooth, mostly upright stems that may arch at the top. Leaves are very narrow (about 2–3 mm), flat, drooping, shiny green above and paler below; the lower leaf bases can look bluish‑reddish. Spreads by long runners. The flower cluster is narrow, 7–10 cm long, and clearly one‑sided, with short‑stalked, hanging little heads. These have bluish‑purple outer husks with pale tips. The plant sets small grains typical of grasses. The one‑sided, nodding cluster and the purple, pale‑tipped husks help tell it from other woodland grasses. Flowers in June–July.

Plant group

Grasses, sedges and rushes

Habitat

herb-rich forest

Flowering

Jun–Jul

About the habitat

Grows in nutrient‑rich, light to semi‑shaded deciduous and mixed forests and on woodland meadows; can also occur in damp, lush swampy woods. Common throughout the country.

Sources

Photo: Marcello Manara, CC BY 4.0 https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/6184869273

Text: Pinkka: BIO-503 Suomen kasvisto ja kasvillisuus - Tunturit: tunturikoivikot, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40505

Text: Pinkka: BIO-503 Suomen kasvisto ja kasvillisuus - Itämeri: rehevät rannikkometsät, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.40505

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuokkuhelmikk%C3%A4

See also