PROTECTING WISCONSIN'S BIODIVERSITY

 
 
   
 
Scientific Name Common Name Global Rank State Rank Federal Status WI Status

Three-flowered Melic Grass (Melica nitens)

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Photo by Emmet Judziewicz

 

Counties with Mapped NHI Occurrences

Three-flowered Melic Grass (Melica nitens), a Wisconsin Special Concern plant, is found usually on steep slopes or rocky embankments in or near southern floodplain forests and southern mesic forests, as well as in dry prairies. It has also been found naturalized on railroad embankments. Blooming occurs early-June through late-July, fruiting early-July through late-August. The optimal identification period for this species is late-June through early-August.

 
 
 

Three-flowered melic grass has a compound panicle with several spreading branches. Spikelets are usually 3-flowered and longer and narrower than glumes. Glumes are distinctly unequal in length, the first glume shorter than spikelet, less than twice as long as wide. Lemmas are obtuse, awnless, rudimentary lemmas are mostly minute. Sheaths are glabrous or scabrous, blades are 7-15mm wide.

Melica nitens is distinguished from M smithii by habitat (southern forests vs moist northern hardwood forests) and lemmas obtuse and awnless vs actue and awned. Similar to M mutica, which is found as close as Illinois, but has shorter culms (0.5-1m) and a panicle with few branches.

Blooming occurs early-June through late-July, fruiting early-July through late-August.

Perennial. The optimal identification period for this species is late-June through early-August.

Associated species include Acer saccharum, Tilia americana, Betula alleghaniensis, Tsuga canadensis.

Three-flowered melic grass is usually found on steep slopes or rocky embankments in or near southern floodplain forests and southern mesic forests, as well as in dry prairies. It has also been found naturalized on railroad embankments.

Avoid known individual plant locations and conduct operations elsewhere when they are least likely to cause damage. Ideally, this would involve frozen, snow-covered ground. However, in areas of the state where frozen conditions are unreliable, very dry soils late in the growing season might be the best available alternative. Consult with a biologist, if needed.

Avoid broadcast spraying of herbicides and use care with spot spraying.

Avoid locating landings, staging areas, or access routes in open sandy areas dominated by native grasses.

Prescribed burns and/or brushing may be beneficial, dependent on local site conditions and burn frequency. Rotational burns with annual unburned refugia may be preferred.

Maintain and restore open habitat through selective clearing and brushing.

Survey for and control invasive plants prior to conducting timber operations, as these can be spread by vehicles and often respond vigorously to increased light. See forestry BMPs for invasive species.

Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) are associated with habitats (or natural communities) and places on the landscape. Understanding relationships among SGCN, natural communities and ecological landscapes help us make decisions about issues affecting SGCN and their habitat and how to respond. Download the Wildlife Action Plan association score spreadsheet to explore rare species, natural communities and ecological landscape associations

Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.