The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: 31/9/83. ¶ ¶ The Craspedia-like plant, sent by you latterly, ¶ dear Prof. Tate, is Calocephalus platycephalus; the second Podocoma is merely a variety; I know the transitory states. Herewith a diagn...

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Physical location:

Barr Smith Library, University of Adelaide, SA. 83.10.01a

Plant names

Babbagia
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Calocephalus platycephalus
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Craspedia
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Loranthus
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Podocoma
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Salsolaceae
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Ralph Tate, 1883-10-01 [83.10.01a]. 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/1880-9/1883/83-10-01a-final.odt>, accessed May 15, 2026

31/9/83.

M presumably wrote on 1 October 1883.

The -like plant, sent by you latterly,

See M to R. Tate, 26 September 1883 (in this edition as 83-09-26b).

dear Prof. Tate, is ; the second is merely a variety; I know the transitory states. Herewith a diagnosis of your , should you not have written one already.

See M to R. Tate, 26 September 1883 (in this edition as 83-09-26b) M's diagnosis is not in the file. There are two species described by M and Tate in B83.14.02, pp. 108-9, namely B. pentaptera and B. acropetra, both from the Aroona Range, SA. The portion of the paper containing the descriptions said to have been read to the Royal Society of SA on 2 October. In M to R. Tate, 26 September 1883 (in this edition as 83-09-26b), M commented ' pentaptera Tate. I will dissect it carefully; very interesting indeed'.

Perhaps Australia will prove finally to be the richest land for except Central & S.W. Asia in comparison to area, as ¼ of all known plants of the order are Australian, and doubtless many will yet be added from the interior. I will refer to the in my next letter.

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.

I have mislaid the , so do not wait.

In B83.14.02, murrayi is described under the joint authorship, but is listed in the portion of the paper said to have been read on 2 October 1883. In M to R. Tate, 30 November 1883, M suggested a change to its definition 'if not too late', but the suggestion was not included. The last meeting of the Royal Society of SA for the session 1882-83 was the annual meeting held on 2 October 1883, when 'Professor TATE gave outlines of five papers by himself and Baron von Mueller' (Transactions and proceedings and report of the Royal Society of South Australia, vol. 6, p. 186). Tate, as editor, evidently included material received from M after that meeting in the continuation of the paper read on 7 August, and dated its reading to the final meeting of the session. The volume was issued in December.