The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: ¶ I should be very pleased if you could procure the fruits of ¶ Trichosanthes holtzei ¶ (the Cucurbitacea with the almost kidney-shaped leaves and the white-fringed flowers), so that I can give a ...

Document information

Physical location:

GRG 19/391, Public Library, Museum & Art Gallery, State Records of South Australia, Adelaide. 86.12.00

Plant names

Cucurbitacea
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Eucalyptus
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Eugenia
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Trichosanthes holtzei
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Maurice Holtze, 1886-12. 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/86-12-00>, accessed September 10, 2025

Undated fragment. The dating to December 1886 is based on M's describing in B86.12.01 but noting as he did so that he had not yet seen the fruit. See also M to M. Holtze, 3 December 1886 (in this edition as 86-12-03b), and M to M. Holtze, 12 December 1886. However, see also M to M. Holtze, 24 January 1885.

Es wäre mir sehr lieb, wenn Sie die Früchte von Trichosanthes Holtzei (die mit fast nierenförmigen Blättern u. weissen gefranzten

gefransten.

Blumen) liefern könnten, damit ich eine vollständige Beschreibung geben kann. Wenn man von neuen Pflanzen die Früchte nicht hat, ist immer die Gefahr, dass man sie in ein unrichtiges genus stellt!

Ich denke mir, dass Sie auch gelegentlich noch manche Wasserpflanzen ( schwimmende ) dort im Flusse finden werden; selbst die allerkleinsten Wasserpflanzen, wie Entenflos, würden willkommen sein. Auch von der blumigen hätte ich gern die reife Frucht diesen Sommer.

I should be very pleased if you could procure the fruits of (the with the almost kidney-shaped leaves and the white-fringed flowers), so that I can give a complete description. If one does not have the fruit of new plants, there is always the danger that one places them in the incorrect genus!

I imagine that occasionally you will still find many an aquatic plant ( floating ) in the river there. Even the very smallest aquatic plants such as duck weed would be welcome. I should also very much like to have the ripe fruit this summer of the with the -like flowers.

See also M to M. Holtze, 20 February 1886, and M to M. Holtze, 21 March 1886.