To Joseph Hooker   24 February 1891

24/2/91

 

Quite recently, dear Sir Joseph, I wrote to you about a supposed Wendlandia with basal insertion of stamens.1 As perhaps an example in the opposite way I like to send you, what may be a Prismatomeris, altho' the stamens are terminal. Can there be a dimorphism in some of these plants? I know such to occur similarly in species of Asperula within Rubiaceae, but in that case the female corolla looses its tube. My material in this instance is very scanty. The ovulary of this doubtful Prismatomeris has two ovules in each cell. Fruit I have not — not even young. The preflorescence of the corolla-lobes is straight-valvate.

Always regardfully

your

Ferd. von Mueller.

 
 

According to your observations the dimorphismus of Prismatomeris does not seem to affect the position of the stamens,2 so that may not be subject to variation in Rubiaceae, contrary to what we see in many other orders of plants.

 

Asperula

Prismatomeris

Rubiaceae

Wendlandia

1
See M to J. Hooker, 22 February 1891.
2
Bentham & Hooker (1862–83), vol. 2, part 1, p. 119.

Please cite as “FVM-91-02-24,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/91-02-24