From Joseph Hooker¹    5 July 1880

July 5 /80

Dear Mueller

Enclosed is a bit of a branch of a spadix of Clinostigma Mooreanum from Mount Lingbird Howes Isld.² It is contained in 2 short broad spathes 7 in long exactly like those of Rhopalost. sapida, the outer being broadly winged from which however the ♂ fl. differs in the calyx & the symmetrical corolla as well as the stamens.

I find no traces of ♀ fl. anywhere on the spadix & the whole habit & inflorescence of ♂ fl differs so much from Clinostigma that I think I must keep up the genus Lepidorrhachis as indeed Wendland suggests. Moreover the spadices are described as numerous & amongst the leaves, if I am correct in thus interpreting your character "spicae inter folia numerosae" — (Fragmenta VII. 102.)

I can find no scars of male fl. at the base of the fruit which Wendland does (Linnea XXXIX 218.) "quod cl. Muell negat".³

It is concevable that these ♂ fl. may belong to some other Palm but I see no reason to suppose so — as we have it also from Moore (top of Mt Gower)⁴

These Palms are indeed most difficult & I do not manage a genus a week!

I am disposed to put Kentia minor into Linospadix with monostachya, though the anthers are so different — I assume both have axillary i.e. intrafrondal Spadices, whilst K. Belmoreana according to a drawing has infrafoliar spadices.

K Canterburyana will I think go into Rhopalostylis

Can you send me ♂ fl of K Wendlandiana? or any flowers for acuminata or Ptychosp. laccospadix, or Areca Normanbyi.

Australian Palms are in a shocking state.

Very sincerely yr

Jos D Hooker.

Any materials for [Pacific] Palms would be gratefully viewed & returned.

Areca Normanbyi

Clinostigma Mooreanum

Kentia acuminata

Kentia Belmoreana

Kentia Canterburyana

Kentia minor

Kentia Wendlandiana

Lepidorrhachis

Linospadix monostachya

Ptychosperma laccospadix

Rhopalostylis sapida