Melica as an emerging model system for comparative studies in temperate Pooideae grasses.

Data presented here and in previous studies suggests that Melica possesses many of the necessary features to be developed as an additional model for Pooideae grasses, including a relatively fast generation time, perenniality, and interesting variation in physiology and morphology. The next step will be to generate a genome-based phylogeny and transformation tools for functional analyses.