Melica spectabilis
Melica spectabilis is a species of grass known by the common names purple oniongrass and showy oniongrass. Distribution. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to northern California to the Rocky Mountains, where it grows in moist meadows, forests, and other mountainous habitat. Description. "Melica spectabilis" is a perennial grass which varies in maximum height from under to nearly a meter, growing from rhizomes and stalked, onionlike corms. The inflorescence is a narrow series of spikelets which are green with evenly spaced purple bands.