Document information

Physical location:

Barr Smith Library, University of Adelaide, SA. 81.12.01

Plant names

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
1
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;
2
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.,
3
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
4
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.
5
Bentham (1863-78), vol. 7, p. 684.
But as regards Marsilea, I have designedly only admitted the original M. quadrifolia
6
See Tate (1880), p. 88.
into your list,
7
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.
8
Tate (1882b) includes many species locations attributed to Kempe.
Regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller.