The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Museum, Auckland, N.Z, ¶ August 2d 1881 ¶ My Dear Baron Mueller, ¶ ¶ I trust you will excuse me for asking your assistance in the following matter. In vol 5 of the "Flora Australiensis" a species of ...

Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M1, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 81.08.02

Plant names

Poranthera alpina
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Poranthera microphylla
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Scleranthus biflorus
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Scleranthus mniaroides
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Preferred Citation:

Thomas Cheeseman to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1881-08-02. 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/1880-9/1881/81-08-02-final.odt>, accessed June 5, 2026

MS annotation by M: 'Answ 16/8/81'. Letter not found.

Museum, Auckland, N.Z,

August 2d 1881

My Dear Baron Mueller,

I trust you will excuse me for asking your assistance in the following matter. In vol 5 of the "Flora Australiensis" a species of Scleranthus is described under the name of S. mniaroides

Bentham (1863-78), vol. 5, p. 259.

which seems to differ chiefly from S. biflorus in the flowers being solitary, and in the smaller size of all its parts. Now I have gathered in the mountains of the South Island a Scleranthus which I have often thought might be this species; and which certainly looks very different to any of the ordinary states of S. biflorus . I have ventured to send you a specimen, and should feel extremely obliged if you would compare it with the Australian plant and let me know the result. I also enclose a specimen of a lax-growing form of S. biflorus which is not uncommon in the South Island.

You will remember my sending you specimens of Poranthera microphylla from the Nelson district.

See T. Cheeseman to M, 4 March 1878 (in this edition as 78-03-04c).

Last summer I gathered a second species at an altitude of 5000 ft on Mt Arthur, in the N. W. of Nelson. It was evidently quite distinct from any of the Australian species, and I have consequently described it under the name of P. alpina . It is interesting to find another of the purely Australian genera to be represented in New Zealand. Sir W. J. Hooker, to whom I forwarded specimens, agrees with me in thinking the species to be perfectly distinct.

Cheeseman presumably means Joseph Hooker.

Yours very truly

T. F. Cheeseman

Baron F von Mueller, FRS.

&c&c&c