Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M20, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 84.05.06

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ralph Tate to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1884-05-06. 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/1880-9/1884/84-05-06-final.odt>, accessed May 15, 2026

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MS annotation by M: 'Rec. & answ 10/5/84 F.v.M.'
THE UNIVERSITY,
ADELAIDE.
May 6, 1884
My Dear Baron,
I enclose a specimen of what I name Scirpus litoralis , for corroboration; it is from the River Torrens at Adelaide. This discovery has led me to re examine
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sic.
my specimens gathered together under the name of S. lacustris , with the result that: —
(1) those from the Reedbeds near Adelaide, from the R. Murray and the S. East are S. lacustris
2/ those from Wirrabirra in the Flinders-Range
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Wirrabara, SA?
are S. litoralis .
Apart from the denser inflorescence of S. lacustris , another character, not mentioned by Bentham, seems available for diagnostic purposes — namely the exsert anthers.
Of late I have not devoted much time to botanical work having resumed the elaboration of the species of our Tertiary fossils; but I am wishful to describe the new species of plants from the Lake Torrens district,
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SA.
Stipa Muelleri

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and another plant or so from this neighbourhood, as I had inadvertently attached M.S. names in my published papers, it seems advisable that the descriptive work should devolve on me alone.
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Tate described Stipa muelleri and several other new species in Tate (1885).
So far, it seems probable that the Trans. of our Royal Soc for this year will be a very thin volume; could favour us with a paper to arrive towards the end of September.
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M did not contribute a paper to the volume.
I trust that you are fully restored to health.
yrs very truly
Ralph Tate