Document information

Physical location:

Barr Smith Library, University of Adelaide, SA. 82.11.00

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Ralph Tate, 1882-11. 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/1880-9/1882/82-11-00-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

Sunday .
1
Approximate date established from reference to Royal Society nomination certificate, which Tate had returned to M by early December 1882, probably with his letter of 29 November (letter not found) to which M refers in his letter to Tate, 6 December 1882, since M sent the form to James Hector the same day; see M to J. Hector, 6 December 1882 (in this edition as 82-12-06b).
In first instance, dear Prof Tate, let me thank you for the trouble, you have taken in writing out the suppl. list for your census, to which I can add at once a very interesting
Swainsona

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from near Eucla.
2
WA, close to the border with SA.
I send a specimen of it, and will do so with any other plants of SA., which I may describe, and which may not be otherwise accessible for you.
Next let me say, that I have the
Violaceae

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at this moment not readily accessible, but will think of your
Hybanthus

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and describe it more fully; meanwhile it is nominally safe.
3
M appears to have been uncertain of the systematic rank of this
Hybanthus

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; see n. 2 to M to R. Tate, 28 November 1881 .
I will also see to the
Polymeria

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carefully, as it will be soon required for the census.
The Pterostylis, sent by your assistant or disciple from Kangaroo Island, is P. praecox.
Most creditable as Mr Fitzgeralds work is, we must not implicitly accept all his forms of orchids as specific, and this he himself admits. So (I speak êntre nous) some of his novel species have yet to pass an ordeal!
I will look up the only specimen of
Tatea

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and send it back to you.
4
There is a tick in the margin beside this sentence.
I should think a pencil sketch would suffice for your Pt Darwin correspondent. Herewith order for paper of Candidature of RS.
5
Royal Society (of London).
Gladly will I support your election, but for 1883 (March) are two Australians already in the field, namely the Reverend J. Tenison Woods and Mr J. Forrest;
6
Tenison Woods was a candidate for election, always unsuccessfully, in 1883-4 and 1886-8. A completed nomination for Forrest was never registered at the Royal Society.
so it will be a matter for your consideration, whether you will wait til 1884.
7
Tate decided to proceed; see M to J. Hector, 6 December 1882 (in this edition as 82-12-06b). in the event, however, though M went ahead and collected the necessary signatures to support the nomination, Tate was first a candidate in the Society's election in 1884.
Prof M'Coy was only elected at advanced age two years ago. I exerted myself greatly for him.
8
See M to T. Huxley, 8 June 1879; M to J. Hooker, 8 June 1879 (in this edition as 79-06-08b); and M to W. Carruthers, 8 June 1879 (in this edition as 79-06-08f).
You have many personal friends at home, who could help you. After the mail for Europe has left to morrow I will attend to your
Hibiscus

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&c.
Justicia Bonneyana

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occurs within S.A territory; it was from very imperfect material without fruit first described as
Chloanthes Bonneyana

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.
9
There is a tick in the margin beside this paragraph. M named Cloanthes bonneyana in B76.07.01, p. 73; he recombined it as Justicia bonneyana in B82.04.03, p. 74.
Regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller.