Document information

Physical location:

70.08.00a

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to the Gardeners' Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette, 1870-08 [70.08.00a]. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id/70-08-00a>, accessed September 11, 2025

1
Letter not found. The text given here is from 'Root blight', Gardeners' chronicle and agricultural gazette , 24 September 1870, pp. 1281-2 (B70.09.01). It is dated to early August as the latest likely date that it could have been sent to have appeared in this issue.
In the Gardeners' Chronicle appeared recently a note, as if I was totally in error as regards the systematic position of the Fungus,
2
For comments by Miles Berkeley on an earlier letter of M's, see notes to M to Gardeners' chronicle and agricultural gazette , December 1869 (in this edition as 69-12-00e).
which, according to the extensive observations of my friend, the Rev. Dr. Muecke,
3
See also M to C. Mücke, 26 August 1873, and Mücke (1870).
causes the root blight or root decay of the Wheat and some other cereals in Australia. This Fungus is, however, closely allied to Willkomm's
Xenodochus ligniperda

Search for Xenodochus ligniperda in

, which causes the red decay (Roth faule) in Oaks, Pines, &c. That particular Fungus was placed by Rabenhorst into. Schlechtendal's genus Xenodochus, and its peculiar ravages are altogether similar to the attacks of our Xenodochus on the roots of grasses. The temporary name which I gave might be changed into X. graminiperda.
4
No record of publication of this name has been found; but see Berkeley (1873a), where that epithet was used in the description of a fungus found on rye grass as Isaria graminiperda under the joint authorship of Berkeley and M. See M to the Gardeners' chronicle and agricultural gazette , October 1873 (in this edition as 73-10-00f).
It is quite possible that Xenodochus must be altogether eliminated out of the series of genera. But as the metamorphosis of so many of the lower Fungi is as yet imperfectly understood, we must leave the whole Xenodochus question as yet an open one; and in placing the cereal Fungus with the wood Fungus I did not wish to do more than indicate the affinity, both structural and physiological, of both. The Fungus of the Takeall was considered by some observers a
Fusidium

Search for Fusidium in

, to which genus it certainly belongs not.
F. Mueller, Government Botanist, Melbourne.
5
The letter is followed by the following parenthetical comment:
Without a sight of the Fungus referred to — Xenodochus — it is impossible to speak with any confidence. We should not, however, expect to find a Fungus closely allied to X. carbonarius, which occurs on the leaves of the Great Burnet, or [on?] the roots of Wheat, much less on Oat. The Fungus which causes red-oak in England is Xylostroma corium, and we therefore thought there might be some confusion between Xenodochus and Xylostroma. If Dr. Mueller will favour us with a specimen of the Fungus in question, we will give it our best attention, and at the same time we should be glad to have a reference to the publication in which Rabenhorst referred Willkomm's Fungus to Xenodochus. Schlechtendal's genus is not likely to be eliminated as far as X. carbonarius goes, which is a most remarkable Fungus. E ds.
In M to M. Berkeley, 30 December 1870, M cited Willkomm (1866) but did not specifically answer the question about Rabenhorst's transfer.