The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: 9/1/80 ¶ ¶ After I had closed my letter to you, ¶ respected Mr Tepper, I find among the seeds the ¶ Cymodocea ¶ fruits, which I have ¶ never ¶ seen before so well developed! It had slipped from ...

Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M198, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 80.01.09a

Plant names

Cymodocia antactica
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- Australian Plant Name Index
Halophila ovata
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Hydrocharidacea
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- Australian Plant Name Index
Najadacea
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Posidonia australis
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Otto Tepper, 1880-01-09 [80.01.09a]. 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/80-01-09a>, accessed September 11, 2025

9/1/80

Nachdem ich meinen Brief an Sie geschlossen hatte, geehrter Herr Tepper, finde ich unter den Sämereien die Cymodocea Früchte, welche ich vorher niemals so wohl entwickelt gesehen! Es war meinem Gedächtniss entschlüpft, dass Sie C. antarctica bereits gesammelt hatten. Falls diese Planze bei Ihnen häufig Früchte bringt, so bitte ich Sie einige beblätterte Exemplaren mit den noch nichts abgefallenen Früchte zu senden, ebenfalls einige Bluthentragende Exemplaren. Ich möchte Ihnen aber Ihre Zeit nicht rauben, u Ihnen keine besondere Mühe machen.

Ich möchte Ihre Aufmerksamkeit noch auf eine andere verwandte Pflanze lenken, die mit Cymodocea häufig aufgewaschen wird, nämlich , J. Hooker. Das Blatt ist doppelt so breit als das von Cymodocea u am Ende nicht ausgerundet sondern abgerundet

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The original pencil sketch is very faint.

Dann finden Sie an der Kuste eine andere Meerpflanze manchmal aufgeschwemmt, kenntlich an den ovalen schön-durchsichtigen Blatt,

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The original pencil sketch is very faint.

solche ist Gaudichaud. Halophila gehört zu den Hydrocharideen (nicht Najadeen, zu denen Bentham dieselbe fälschlich stellte).

Mit freundschaftlicher Ergebenheit der Ihre

Ferd. von Mueller.

9/1/80

After I had closed my letter to you,

M to O. Tepper, 8 January 1880 (in this edition as 80-01-08a).

respected Mr Tepper, I find among the seeds the Cymodocea fruits, which I have never seen before so well developed! It had slipped from my memory that you had already collected C. antarctica. In case this plant frequently brings forth fruit at your place, I ask you to send a few specimens with leaves with which fruits have not yet fallen off, as well as a few flower-bearing specimens. However, I should not like to take up your time and make any particular trouble for you.

I should also still like to direct your attention to another, related plant that frequently is washed up with Cymodocea, namely

A sketch is inserted at this point:

The original pencil sketch is very faint, and this version has been manually retouched.

J. Hooker. The leaf is double the width of that of Cymodocea and is not hollowed out but rounded at the end. Then you will find another marine plant sometimes floating on the coast, recognisable by the oval beautifully transparent leaf, such is Gaudichaud.

A sketch is inserted at this point:

The original pencil sketch is very faint, and this version has been manually retouched.

Halophila belongs to the Hydrocharideae (not Najadeae to which Bentham falsely assigned it

Bentham (1863-78), vol, 7, p. 182.

With friendly devotion your

Ferd. von Mueller.