science

Hermann Merxmüller

Hermann Merxmüller is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hermann Merxmüller rather than just read about it. In short: Hermann Merxmüller (30 August 1920, Munich – 8 February 1988) was a German botanist and taxonomist. Merxmüller's interest in botany was noticed at an early age by his mentors, and he was encouraged to collect in the Bavarian Alps and countryside.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

Hermann Merxmüller (30 August 1920, Munich – 8 February 1988) was a German botanist and taxonomist. Merxmüller's interest in botany was noticed at an early age by his mentors, and he was encouraged to collect in the Bavarian Alps and countryside. At the age of 17, he joined the Bavarian Botanical Society and at the end of World War II was awarded a scholarship by the Maximilian Foundation, enabling him to study biology at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. He completed his studies with a dissertation on plant distribution in the Alps, then taking up a post as scientific assistant at the Botanische Staatssammlung München. Here the institute's director, Karl Suessenguth, employed him to assist in the creation of a prodromus or introductory treatise on Namibian plants, "Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika". Merxmüller's interests led him to the genus Hieracium, and eventually to an abiding interest in the family Compositae. He visited Namibia on five occasions, collecting mostly in the company of Willi Giess. Compositenstudien I (1950), an analysis of the collections of Sigmund Rehm from South West Africa, the Transvaal, and the Cape Province, was the first of 11 volumes, the last published in 1984. Suessenguth and Merxmüller produced only one joint publication "A contribution to the flora of the Marandellas District, Southern Rhodesia" (1951). Merxmüller was an authority on the flowering plants of Africa, and discovered more than 100 new plant species in his expeditions to that continent. He also wrote extensively on Mediterranean and Alpine flora. His publications were on general systematics, taxonomy, cytotaxonomy, and plant geography. He is commemorated in the genus Merxmuellera Conert, and many species, including Barleria merxmuelleri P.G. Meyer, Carex merxmuelleri Podlech, Corchorus merxmuelleri Wild, Erica merxmuelleri Dulffer, Hermannia merxmuelleri Friedr. etc. Merxmüller headed the Botanische Staatsammlung for more than 25 years, during which time he became a recognized authority in the world of systematic botany. Heinrich Nothdurft worked at the State Institute of Applied Botany in Hamburg, and collaborated with Merxmüller and Kräusel on "Sträucher und Bäume". All had a share in the success of the Kronen-Verlag and the implementation of Erich Cramer's original idea - bring together prominent natural scientists and distinguished artists to create a unique work depicting the exact form and colour of each species, while reflecting its diversity and aesthetic beauty.

Publications Alpenflora; die wichtigeren Alpenpflanzen Bayerns, Österreichs und der Schweiz - Gustav Hegi, Hermann Merxmuller ISBN 3489900200 (3-489-90020-0) The young specialist looks at pond-life - Wolfgang Engelhardt and Hermann Merxmüller; translated [from the German] by Heather J. Fisher, edited and adapted by Roderick C. Fisher, illustrated by Irmgard Engelhardt Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika Mitteilungen der Botanischen Staatssammlung München Merxmüller, H; J Grau. (1963). Chromosomenzahlen aus der Gattung Myosotis L.. Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges. 76: 23–29. Merxmüller, H; J Grau. (1967). Moehringia-Studien. — Mitt. Bot. München 6: 257–273. Merxmüller, H; J Grau. (1968). Ergänzende Studien an Petrocoptis (Caryophyllaceae) — Coll. Bot. 7: 787–797. Grau, J; H Merxmüller. (1972). Myosotis, in: Flora Europaea III: 111–117. Merxmüller, H; J Grau. (1976). Fruchtanatomische Untersuchungen in der Inula-Gruppe (Astereae). — Publ. Cairo Univ. Herb. 7 & 8: 9—20. Кarl Suessenguth, Нermann Merxmüller. (1951). A contribution to the flora of the Marandellas district, Southern Rhodesia. Transactions, Rhodesia Scientific Association. 86 pp. (1960). Die Compositen-Gattungen Südwestafrikas. 87 pp. (1960). Mitteleuropäische Pflanzenwelt. 288 pp. (1967). Flore d'Europe: Plantes herbacées et sous-arbrisseaux. Volume 1 of Flore d'Europe. Gustav Hegi, Hermann Merxmüller. (1968). Alpenflora. 112 pp. Gustav Hegi, Hermann Merxmüller. (1976). Alpenflora: die wichtigeren Alpenpflanzen Bayerns, Österreichs und der Schweiz. 157 pp. ISBN 3-489-90020-0. Нermann Meusel, Нermann Merxmüller, Кarl Нeinz Rechinger. (1994). Lebensgeschichte der Gold- und Silberdisteln: Artenvielfalt und Stammesgeschichte der Gattung: zum Gedächtnis an Hermann Merxmüller und für Karl-Heinz Rechinger, Volume 2. 657 pp. ISBN 3-211-86558-6. Untersuchungen zur Sippengliederung und Arealbildung in den Alpen - Hermann Merxmüller (1952) Was lebt in Tümpel, Bach und Weiher?: eine Einführung in die Lehre vom Leben der Binnengewässer - Wolfgang Engelhardt (1959) Mitteleuropäische Pflanzenwelt: Kräuter und Stauden: eine Auswahl unter Berücksichtigung der in Deutschland geschützten Arten (1957) Mitteleuropäische Pflanzenwelt: Sträucher und Bäume: 144 Arten auf 144 Tafeln: eine Auswahl unter Berücksichtigung der in Deutschland geschützten Arten (1960) Kräuter und Stauden: 168 Einzeldarstellungen auf 168 Tafeln in 6-8-farbigem Offsetdruck: eine Auswahl unter Berücksichtigung der in Deutschland geschützten Arten (1957) Kleinere botanische Veröffentlichungen Sträucher und Bäume: 144 Arten auf 144 Tafeln in 7-9-farbigem Offsetdruck

External links A history of research in Compositae

References

GRAU, J. (1988): Obituary - Hermann Merxmüller (1920–1988). - Bothalia 18: 123–125.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hermann Merxmüller

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hermann Merxmüller claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hermann Merxmüller before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hermann Merxmüller ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hermann Merxmüller

In research: Hermann Merxmüller appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hermann Merxmüller in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hermann Merxmüller is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1920 births, 1988 deaths, 20th-century German botanists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hermann Merxmüller outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Hermann Merxmüller in simple terms?

Why does Hermann Merxmüller matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

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Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hermann Merxmüller.