Document information

Physical location:

RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1871-81, f. 248. 79.10.20

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Joseph Hooker, 1879-10-20. 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/1870-9/1879/79-10-20-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

20/10/79
I would beg of you, dear Sir Joseph, to cause to be compared an original specimen of L. elongatus
1
.
of Cunningham from Bathurst, as authoritative for the species. You seem to have cautiously distinguished the desert-plant from the Tasmanian species in the fl. Tasm.,
2
J. Hooker (1860), vol. 1, p. 208.
as I originally had done (vide Linnaea 1852)
3
Sonder (1852), p. 502. Presumably the specimens were sent with M’s names and notes, which Sonder followed. See Lucas (1995).
altho' both were subsequently united in the flor. Austr.
4
Bentham (1863-78), vol. 3, p. 610.
I have worked out the two spec. with their geogr. range & synonymy for the fragmenta or "native plants",
5
B79.06.04 does not include the Compositae; no further volumes were published. M dealt with the distinction between L. elongatus and L. medius in B80.02.02, pp. 85-6.
but as both occur mixed on the Lachlan-River (as noticed by me last year)
6
See M to G. Bentham, 29 September 1878.
— I am not absolutely sure, whether your L. elongatus is that of D.C., though I think so. Sonder made yours L. elongatus var Tasmanicus, so if distinct from D.C.'s it would take the name L. Tasmanicus.
The differences are between both well-marked. L. medius (L. elongatus, flor. Austr partim), has no gradual but a sudden transit from leaves to bracteal scales, an annual root, yellow not whitish florets, short turgid almost smooth achenes with a long very thin beak & very fine pappus hair — (not elongated gradually attenuated rough achenes with more serrulated and at the apex thickened hairs of the pappus. I send two specimens to facilitate recognition. L. medius does not extend to Tasmania, while L. elongatus (or L. Tasmanicus) seemingly does not reach West. Austr. I feel sure you like to clear this up also for future correct reference in the Kew Herbarium.
7
MS annotation by Hooker: 'And Dec 26/79 Mueller is right'. Letter not found. Despite Hooker's opinion, neither M nor Hooker seems to have published Hooker's form as L. tasmanicus: there is no entry in APNI or IPNI (accessed 24 December 2019).
Regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller.