Ferdinand von Mueller

1

Letter not found. The text given here is from 'Wolffia and Lemna', Victorian naturalist, vol. 4 (March 1888), pp. 195-6.

[In a communication from Baron von Mueller it appears that Wolffia had not been contributed from the metropolitan area to the National Herbarium until collected last year by C. French jun.

2

'C. French jun' is often used for Charles H. French. However here it may have been an editorial assumption when editing M's communication, as a younger brother appears to have been the collector. The following report had appeared earlier in the Victorian naturalist, vol. 4 (November 1887), p. 105: 'A rare minute acquatic plant, Wolf f ia Micheli (Schleiden), has been found near Melbourne by Master G. [i.e., George] French for the first time in the southern part of the colony, its only Victorian habitat previously known being lagoons near Mount Elephant. It grows also here, as in Europe, amongst Lemna minor, but is a still smaller plant, without any root, but bulges downward, and its anthers are only one-celled. Baron von Mueller, who examined and determined it, attaches great importance to this find.'

No collection of a Wolffia by any of the French family is retained at MEL (AVH, accessed 9 November 2023).

As it was exhibited at the Microscopical Society some years before, and noticed by W. M. B. in Studley Park, the moral may be drawn that minute floating plants may be easily overlooked, and that naturalists may be in possession of rare or new captures without securing a permanent record. The Baron adds that Wolffia was first found in Australia by himself in 1873, near Mount Emu.

3

See M. to J. Haast, 25 February 1874, reporting that he had found it 'today'.

It was at once recorded, and, attention having been drawn to the find, Rev. Dr. Woolls soon detected examples near Port Jackson. It is probable that this tiny plant will be found in the Melbourne district, and it is to be hoped that the find will be duly recorded.

Another small and closely-allied plant, also, is to be looked for. In 1847 Baron von Mueller recognised a Lemna at Adelaide as a new form, and proposed the name L. pleiorhiza

4

L. pleiorrhiza ?

for it. The plant was not described, as he could not find specimens of the tiny flower or fruit, which, as in Wolffia, is so rarely developed. Dr. Kurz, many years afterwards, discovered the same species in India, and unaware of previous observation, named it L. oligorhiza.

5

L. oligorrhiza ?

The fruit of this species is still unknown, and in order to stimulate search for it, that comparisons may be made with L. minor and L. polyrhiza, the subject was brought a few months ago before the Linnean Society of New South Wales.

6

At the meeting of the Society held on 28 September 1887 it was reported that M would 'be glad if members would try to discover the fruts of the native species of Lemna'; see Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales (1887-8), series 2, vol. 2, p. 621.

It may perhaps fall to the lot of some of our botanical readers to come across this little plant by closer searching in their rambles. If so, it is earnestly to be desired that they will communicate with the Baron on the subject.]