The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: The little weed from the bowling green of Ballarat is, as you rightly surmised, a ¶ hydro cotyle ¶ , ¶ Printer's error for Hydrocotyle? ¶ namely ¶ H. muscosa ¶ of R. Brown, ¶ Richard (1820), p. 20...

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Physical location:

76.06.00c

Plant names

Hydrocotyle muscosa
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Hydrocotyle spirta
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- Australian Plant Name Index

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Bacchus, 1876-06 [76.06.00c]. 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//letters/1870-9/1876/76-06-00c-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

Letter not found. The extract given here is from Ballarat star, 9 June 1876, p. 2. It is introduced by 'The weed puzzle on the Ballarat bowling-green is getting unraveled. By the courtesy of Mr. Bacchus, of Peerewur, we have the following respecting it from Baron von Mueller, to whose inspection Mr Bacchus submitted the sample sent to him last week:–'

The little weed from the bowling green of Ballarat is, as you rightly surmised, a hydro cotyle ,

Printer's error for Hydrocotyle?

namely H. muscosa of R. Brown,

Richard (1820), p. 208, retained the MS name used by Robert Brown (1773-1858).

as far as can be judged in the absence of flowers and fruits. It differs from the common H. spirta

Printer's error for H. spicata?

in the smallness of all parts, in being generally smooth, and in having the leaves deeply divided. I would advise to drain the bowling meadow well, when, likely, this herb, which delights in humidity will greatly disappear, and give way to lawn-grass.

See also Ballarat star, 6 June 1876, p. 2, which includes an extract of a letter from Bacchus to the newspaper, which had sent him a specimen of the plant. The extract includes the statement 'Until in a more advanced state it is difficult to say what these minute plants are. They may be pseudo-ferns of some genus like the marsilea. I have to send back to Baron Mueller some of the specimens he brought to the last Farmers’ Club meeting, so will forward some of the minute plants you sent, but he is averse to naming plants without flowers or fruit.' The letter from Bacchus to M has not been found. M gave a lecture to the Farmers' Club on 27 May 1876; see B76.0501 and B76.05.02.