Schizachne purpurascens (Torr.) Swallen
false melic
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
false melic
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial, loosely tufted grass from fibrous roots; stems erect, to about 100 cm tall.
Leaves:
Sheaths closed almost to the tops; blades 2-4 (5) mm wide, folded or loosely in-rolled, usually smooth; ligules 0.5-1.5 mm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a zig-zagged or loosely erect panicle 7-13 (17) cm long; spikelets 11.5-17 mm long, 3- to 6-flowered; glumes pointed, membranous, smooth, the lower 4.2-6.2 mm long, the upper 6-8.5 (9) mm long; lemmas (8) 8.5-10.5 (12) mm long, with 7 to 9 prominent nerves, tips bidentate, awned, the awns arising below the tips, as long or longer than the lemma bodies, twisted and spreading or slightly abruptly bent, the calluses stiff-hairy; anthers 1.4-2.0 mm long.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Schizachne purpurascens
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)
| Site Information |
Value / Class |
||
|
Avg |
Min |
Max |
|
| Elevation
(metres) |
940 | 59 | 1970 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
13 | 0 | 103 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
227 | 0 | 358 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
4 | 0 | 7 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
C | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
276 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
SBS | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
BWBS(19), CWH(1), ESSF(19), ICH(38), IDF(31), MS(14), PP(1), SBPS(15), SBS(129), SWB(2) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Moist to mesic open forests, forest margins and rocky slopes in the montane zone; infrequent in SC, SE and C BC, rare northward; circumpolar, N to SE AK, YT, NT, E to NF and S to ME, MA, PA, VA, KY, IL, IA, NE, NM and UT; W and C Asia.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Avena torreyi Nash
Melica purpurascens (Torr.) A.S. Hitchc.
Schizachne purpurascens subsp. purpurascens
Schizachne purpurascens var. pubescens Dore
Schizachne stricta (Michx.) HultTn
Trisetum purpurascens Torr.