Spathichlamys — A remarkable Rubiacea

Spathichlamys, a quite remarkable genus of the Rondeletieae is only known from the type collection from Burma. In fruit it could easily be mistaken for Wendlandia, but it differs from this genus in the flattened ovate stipules. The flowering material is most interesting, the anthers are contained within the long corolla tube which later splits and rolls open to expose the anthers. As far as is known this character of splitting of the corolla tube has only been reported elsewhere in the Rubiaceae in the African genus Dorothea Wernh. (Gardenieae); the splitting of the corolla is the main character separating it from the closely allied Aulacocalyx, in which genus it is currently placed in most recent works. However, in Dorothea, the style apparently curves away from the corolla through the slit, the corolla maintaining its normal form and not rolling back to any degree.