Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M108b, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 82.07.22

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Károly Kalchbrenner to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1882-07-22. 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/82-07-22>, accessed September 11, 2025

Geehrtester Freund!
Obgleich ich immerhin noch guter Laune bin, muss ich mir doch gestehen, dass es mit mir sehr abwärts geht. Die Sehkraft nimmt stark ab, und schon hüllt sich der Schreibtisch vor mir in Nebel ! Zwar kann ich noch mit Noth determiniren, aber wenn ich die Diagnosen nicht mehr aufschlagen und lesen werden können, — ist es damit aus! — Was aber dann?
Ich muss schon jetzt daran denken wegen den zahlreichen Pilzexemplaren welche ich noch von Ihnen habe, und noch nicht bestimmte Dispositionen zu treffen. — Von den meisten Polyporen habe ich wohl die Diagnosen fertig. — Ich werde sie abschreiben lassen, und sie Ihnen samt den betreffenden Exemplaren zuschicken. Aber die Agaricinen? — die Mehrzahl derselben ist unbestimmbar, weil sie (durch Petroleum) dunkel braun geworden sind, und ihnen keine Angabe der frischen Farbe beigegeben ist. Ich sehe Niemanden den ich die Determination derselben übertragen könnte. Dr Winter in Leipzig will sich zwar dem Studium der exot. Pilze widmen, hat sich aber bisher meist nur mit den Uridineen Pyrenomyceten etc. beschäftigt. Ich fühle mich geschmeichelt durch die Ernennung zum Correspondirenden Mitglied der Linn Gesellsch
1
Gesellschaft.
in Sydney, und werde ein Dankschreiben — und wohl auch Anderes senden.
Soeben langt eine Sendung von Ihnen an. Ein Band der "Fragmenta["]
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editorial addition.
— und 1 Paquet mit Agaricinen.
1. Polyporus / Pleuropus / angustatus K.
Pileus tenuis, coriaceus, elangato-obovatus, basi cuneatus, subconcavus, glaber, zonatus et ochraceo-fuscidulus, linea recta in stipitem cylindricum, aequilongum, pallidum, apice haud dilatatum sed basi peltatum descendens. Pori minimi, stipiti concolores altido ochracei.
Austral. Daintree river, North Queensland.
leg. Pentzcke 1882. Comm. de Mueller.
Kalchbrenner
2.
Cladoderris dendritica

Search for Cladoderris dendritica in

Pers. in Freycinet Voyage.
Austral. Daintree river. N. Queensland.
Leg. Penczcke 1882 com. de Mueller.
3. Paxillus (?) hirtulus . de Mueller.
Plurimis notis cum P. sordario Pers. convenit, sed multo minor. —
Pileus e convexo depressus, margine involutus, luride fuscescens vix, 3-4 lin. latus: stipes pollicaris, deorsum incrassatus ad basim abruptam radicatus 1½ lin. crassus hirtulus, deorsum pallidior; lamellae adnato-aqualiter decurrentes, confertae, angustae, luridae.
Austral. N. Queensland 1882. —
Non satis evolutus — et in fungo siccato lamellarum indoles [aegre] inquirenda, sed ob marginem pilei involutum et stipitem tomentosum lamellasque luride fuscescentes Paxillis potius, quam Clitocybis adscibendus.
Ersteres ist mir sehr interessant da es eine ziemliche Übersicht der australischen Gesamtflora gewährt. Meinen besten Dank dafür. Aus den Agaric. wird sich nicht viel machen lassen.
Mit den herzlichsten Wünschen für Ihr Wohlergehen
Wallendorf. 22 Jul. 1882
C. Kalchbrenner
Most esteemed Friend!
Although I am at least still in a good mood, yet I must confess that I am going downhill. The eyesight diminishes severely and already the writing desk is veiled in fog before me! Indeed I can still determine with difficulty , but if I can no longer look up and read the diagnoses —it is the end! But what then?
I must already think of the numerous specimens of fungi that I still have from you, and still have not adopted definite arrangements. I probably have completed the diagnoses of most of the Polyporae. I shall have them copied and send them to you together with the relevant specimens. But the Agaricinae? The majority of them is indeterminable because they have become dark brown (through petroleum), and no detail of the fresh colour is adjoined to them. I see no-one to whom I could transfer the determinations of them. It is true Dr Winter in Leipzig wants to devote himself to the study of exotic fungi, but hitherto he has mostly only dealt with the Uridineae, Pyrenomyceteae etc. I feel flattered by the appointment as Corresponding Member of the Linnean Society in Sydney and shall send a letter of thanks — probably also other things .
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Kalchbrenner was elected a Corresponding Member of the Linnean Society of New South Wales on 29 March 1882 and sent two papers as thanks that were read at the Society's meetings on 29 November and 27 December 1882 and published as Kalchbrenner (1883) and Kalchbrenner (1883a) respectively. The latter had an introduction by M (see B83.04.13). See also K. Kalchbrenner to M, September 1882 (in this edition as 82-09-00a).
A consignment from you just arrived. A volume of the Fragmenta and 1 packet with Agaricinae.
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The Latin text that follows has a marginal MS annotation by M: 'Msc. forwarded to L. S. of NSW. 2/2/83'. An abbreviated version was published as Kalchbrenner (1884a).
1. Polyporus / Pleuropus / angustatus K.
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This name not found; MS annotation by M above angustatus: 'Pentzkei'. This taxon was published as a new under the name Polyporus Pentzkei in Kalchbrenner (1884a), p. 175.
Pileus tenuis, coriaceus, elangato-obovatus, basi cuneatus, subconcavus, glaber, zonatus et ochraceo-fuscidulus, linea recta in stipitem cylindricum, aequilongum, pallidum, apice haud dilatatum sed basi peltatum descendens. Pori minimi, stipiti concolores altido ochracei.
Austral. Daintree river, North Queensland.
leg. Pentzcke1882. Comm. de Mueller.
Kalchbrenner
2.
Cladoderris dendritica

Search for Cladoderris dendritica in

Pers. in Freycinet Voyage.
Austral. Daintree river. N. Queensland.
Leg. Penczcke 1882 com. de Mueller.
3. Paxillus (?) hirtulus . de Mueller.
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This species was published with M as author in Kalchbrenner (1883).
Plurimis notis cum P. sordario Pers. convenit, sed multo minor.—
Pileus e convexo depressus, margine involutus, luride fuscescens vix, 3-4 lin. latus: stipes pollicaris, deorsum incrassatus ad basim abruptam radicatus 1½ lin. crassus hirtulus, deorsum pallidior; lamellae adnato-aqualiter decurrentes, confertae, angustae, luridae.
Austral. N. Queensland 1882. —
Non satis evolutus — et in fungo siccato lamellarum indoles [aegre] inquirenda, sed ob marginem pilei involutum et stipitem tomentosum lamellasque luride fuscescentes Paxillis potius, quam Clitocybis adscibendus,
The first
7
Kalchbrenner's comment suggests that the volume of the Fragmenta he was acknowledging was B82.05.22, which included in B81.13.12 Kalchebrenner's contribution on 'Lichenes…' as well as other vascular species.
is very interesting to me because it affords a fair overview of the whole Australian flora. My best thanks for it. Not much will be able to be done from the Agarics.
With warmest wishes for your welfare
Wallendorf, 22 July 1882
C. Kalchbrenner