Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Share

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Melica spectabilis

Melica spectabilis Scribn.

Purple Onion Grass, Purple Oniongrass, Showy Melic Grass

Poaceae (Grass family)

Synonym(s): Bromelica spectabilis, Melica bulbosa var. spectabilis

USDA Symbol: MESP

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

 

From the Image Gallery

No images of this plant

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Fruit Type: Caryopsis
Size Notes: Up to about 3 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Green , Purple , Brown
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: CA , CO , ID , MT , NV , OR , UT , WA , WY
Canada: AB , BC
Native Habitat: Moist meadows, flats, and open woods.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:AGCPAKAWCBEMPGPHIMWNCNEWMVE
Status: FAC FAC
This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

Web Reference

Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) Calflora
Webref 32 - Grasses of Canada, the U.S., and Mexico - North America north of Mexico (all countries, provinces, states, territories) (2019) Open Herbarium (openherbarium.org)
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Melica spectabilis in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Melica spectabilis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Melica spectabilis

Metadata

Record Modified: 0000-00-00
Research By: CBR

Go back