Taxon Report
Melica spectabilis Scribn.purple onion grass |
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Taxon Summary
Melica spectabilis, commonly known as purple onion grass, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Poaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Lower montane coniferous forest, Meadows and seeps, and Upper montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 1200 to 2600 meters. Melica spectabilis is ranked 4.3, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Not very threatened in California.Classification
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Scientific Name: |
Melica spectabilis Scribn. |
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Common Name: |
purple onion grass |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Element Code: | PMPOA3X0G0 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | MESP |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | perennial rhizomatous herb |
| Blooming Period: May-Jul | May-Jul |
| Elevation: | 1200-2600 (3935-8530) |
| General Habitats: | Lower montane coniferous forest, Meadows and seeps, Upper montane coniferous forest |
| Microhabitat: | Mesic |
| Microhabitat Details: |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 4.3 |
| Global Rank: | G5 |
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State Rank: |
S4 |
| State List: | None |
| Fed List: | None |
| Other Status: | |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 0 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 0 |
| Good (B) | 0 |
| Fair (C) | 0 |
| Poor (D) | 0 |
| None (X) | 0 |
| Unknown (U) | 0 |
| California Endemic: False | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| Lassen (LAS), Plumas (PLU) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Ash Valley (4112016), Grizzly Valley (3912085) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 0 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 0 | 0 % | |
Citation
California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 28 October 2025].