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Native Plant Propagation Guidelines:
grasses & sedges

Melica subulata (Alaska oniongrass)

Category: 
grasses and sedges

 

Tufted perennial from short, thick rhizomes that bear clusters of bulb-like stem bases. Stems 30-100 cm tall, spreading-hairy on the leaf bases. Leaves flat, thin 3-7 mm wide, hairy on upper surfaces; no auricles; ligules 1-5 mm long, hairless, split or jagged at tips. Inflorescence is a narrow panicle, 12-20 cm long, the relatively few branches single or in pairs, ascending to erect ; spikelets narrow, 12-20 mm long, loosely 2-5 flowered, tawny or purplish-bronze, with the uppermost floret sterile; glumes narrow, of unequal length, faintly nerved, shorter than the spikelet, the largest about 8 mm long; lemmas sharp-pointed but unawned, 9-13 mm long, seven nerved, hairy on the nerves and margins (Pojar and MacKinnon, 1994).

Scientific Name: 

Melica subulata (Griseb.) Scribn.

Family: 
Poaceae
English Name: 
Alaska oniongrass

Geographical Range and Habitat Requirements

Ecological Setting: 

Dry to moist meadows, open to shady slopes from near sea level to middle elevations (Pojar and MacKinnon, 1994).

Soil Texture: 
n/a
Nutrients: 

Nitrophitic species preferring base-rich soils (Klinka et al., 1995).

Soil Reaction and Salinity: 

Mildly acidic to moderately alkaline.

Moisture Regime: 

Fresh to very moist (Klinka et al., 1995).

Shade Tolerance: 

Shade tolerant/shade intolerant (Klinka et al., 1995).

Successional Status: 

Climax to late seral species.

BEC Zone and GOE Community Status: 
n/a

Uses

Site Rehabilitation: 
n/a
Wildlife: 
n/a
Landscaping: 

Attractive shade-tolerant ornamental for borders or containers (S. Bastin, personal communication).

First Nations: 
n/a
Other Uses: 

Bulb-like corm is edible and is said to have a pleasant nutty flavour (Pojar and MacKinnon, 1994).

Seed Propagation

Flowering Time: 
n/a
Fruit Ripening Time: 
n/a
Seed Collection Time: 
n/a
Crop Intervals: 

No information. The following relates to Melica harfordii. Seed is produced in the first growing season and cleans easily off the plant (Rose et al., 1998).

Number of Seeds per Kilogram: 
n/a
Seed Viability: 
n/a
Fruit and Seed Collection and Extraction: 
n/a
Seed Storage: 
n/a
Fruit/Seed Dormancy and Treatment: 
n/a

Vegetative Propagation

Excellent success with plant division in the fall. Divide "bulblets". Best to keep several bulblets together (S. Bastin, personal communication).

Outplanting Characteristics and Requirements

Plants are slow to establish and require supplementary watering in dry periods. Once established, bulblets develop quickly (S. Bastin, personal communication).

Seed and Cutting Propagation Techniques

n/a

Additional Information and Photos

For more information and pictures, visit the E-Flora BC website at www.eflora.bc.ca.

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