The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: 31/11/81 ¶ ¶ The Pilularia, sent by you, dear Prof. Tate, I have at least superficially examined, and also dissected its fruit; ¶ it will be best to follow Dr Valentine, who did not distinguish the ...

Document information

Physical location:

Barr Smith Library, University of Adelaide, SA. 81.12.01

Plant names

Marsilea quadrifolia
Search for Marsilea quadrifolia in
- This website
- Australian Plant Name Index
Pilularia Novae Hollandiae
Search for Pilularia Novae Hollandiae in
- This website
- Australian Plant Name Index
Pilularia globulifera
Search for Pilularia globulifera in
- This website
- Australian Plant Name Index

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Ralph Tate, 1881-12-01. 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/1880-9/1881/81-12-01-final.odt>, accessed June 9, 2026

31/11/81

Since November has only 30 days, M presumably wrote on 1 December 1881.

The Pilularia, sent by you, dear Prof. Tate, I have at least superficially examined, and also dissected its fruit;

See M to R. Tate, 28 November 1881.

it will be best to follow Dr Valentine, who did not distinguish the Tasmanian from the European & N. African P. globulifera L.,

Shortly before he migrated to Tasmania, Valentine submitted a major anatomical study of Pilularia to the Linnean Society where it was read on 19 March 1839 (Valentine (1841)). This paper did not, however, contain a comparative analysis. M is evidently relying on the statement in J. Hooker (1860), vol. 2, p. 376: 'Dr. Valentine, who made a complete study of the British species...assured Mr Archer that the Tasmanian species differed in no particular from the English'.

altho' Alex. Brown

i.e. Alexander Braun.

published it as P. Novae Hollandiae, a synonym quoted by Bentham, who omitted that this plant occurs at Port Phillip near Geelong, also. A North-American species is distinguished, on the validity of which I will not venture to pass an opinion.

Bentham (1863-78), vol. 7, p. 684.

But as regards Marsilea, I have designedly only admitted the original M. quadrifolia

See Tate (1880), p. 88.

into your list,

Tate included M. quadrifolia in his original census of SA plants (Tate (1880), p. 88) and was preparing the additions (Tate (1882b)). Evidently he had asked M for his reasons for excluding M. drummondii as a SA species, as given in Bentham (1863-78), vol. 7, p. 684. In B83.03.04, M included only , apparently having concluded that the other three species recognized by Bentham were not distinct. Tate describes his census as a compilation from Flora Australiensis, M's Fragmenta and 'manuscript notes communicated by' M (Tate (1880), p. 46).

after noting the transits from minute hairy specimens in dry ground to some with four feet high frond-stalks in deep water! If differences exist in the inner organs of fructification, then they have not been described yet by anyone.

I may send you still the names of some of Mr Kempe's plants in a few days.

Tate (1882b) includes many species locations attributed to Kempe.

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.