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Milium effusum

(American Milletgrass)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in English:

American Milletgrass, Golden Millet Grass, Millet Grass, Tall Millet-Grass, Wood Millet

Common Names in German:

Waldhirse

Common Names in Hungarian:

Köles

Common Names in Romanian:

Mălai, Mei, Mei Pădureţ, Meişor

Description

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Genus Milium

Annual or perennial . Leaf blades flat; ligule membranous. Inflorescence a terminal open panicle. Spikelets elliptic or ovate , with 1 floret, bisexual , slightly dorsally compressed , disarticulating above glumes , rachilla extension absent; glumes subequal , as long as spikelet, herbaceous, persistent , 3-veined; callus very short, obtuse , glabrous ; lemma elliptic, slightly shorter than glumes, leathery becoming indurated and glossy at maturity, smooth , glabrous, obscurely 5-veined, margins involute , apex acute, awnless; palea resembling lemma in texture , 2-veined, not keeled . Lodicules 2. Stamens 3.

Five species: Europe eastward to Japan, also in E North America; one species in China.

This genus has often been placed in Stipeae, but molecular evidence shows its relationship lies within Poeae.[1]

Physical Description

Species Milium effusum

Perennial , shortly rhizomatous . Culms loosely tufted , erect , slender, 0.9-1.5 m tall, smooth , glabrous , 3-5-noded. Leaf sheaths loose , slightly inflated , glabrous; leaf blades broadly linear to linear-lanceolate, thin, soft, 10-30 cm, 5-15 mm wide, glabrous, abaxial surface gray-green, adaxial surface green, margins scaberulous, apex acute; ligule lanceolate, 2-10 mm. Panicle ovate or pyramidal in outline, very lax , 10-30 cm; branches in clusters of up to 6, slender, flexuous , spreading or deflexed , smooth or scabrid , lower part bare. Spikelets 3-4 mm, gray-green or tinged with purple; glumes elliptic-ovate, scaberulous, margins white, apex acute; lemma glossy, milky-white when young, brown at maturity. Anthers 2-3 mm. Fl. and fr. May-Jul. 2n = 14, 28. [source]

Habit: Graminoid

Habitat

Forests , moist shady places; 700-3500 m. [2].

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,500 meters (0 to 8,202 feet).[3]

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Taxonomy

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Synonyms

Agrostis effusa (L.) Lam. • Decandolia effusa (L.) Bastard • Melica effusa (L.) Salisb. • Miliarium effusum (L.) Moench

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Milium

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 5 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

M. coloratum (Klinegrass) · M. effusum (American Milletgrass) · M. effusum var. cisatlanticum (American Milletgrass) · M. effusum 'Aureum' (Golden Millet Grass) · M. vernale (Milium)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 15, 2007:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Zhen-lan Wu & Sylvia M. Phillips "Milium". in Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 225, 311. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. "Milium effusum". in Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 311. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  3. Mean = 237.660 meters (779.724 feet), Standard Deviation = 291.030 based on 13,131 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 2012-04-18