Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M48, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 92.03.16a

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Maurice Holtze to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1892-03-16 [92.03.16a]. 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/92-03-16a>, accessed September 11, 2025

1
MS found with a specimen at MEL, the details of which were not recorded. MS stamped: 'Botanic Garden | Adelaide | South Australia'.
16th March 92.
Hochgeehrter Herr Baron!
Ich habe sofort nach Empfang Ihres Briefes das Herbarium durchgesehen wegen der Livistona. Leider haben wir nur zwei Exemplare von Livistona, beide in ganz nutzlosem Zustande. Die eine ist von Ihrem Melbourne Herbarium gemarkt! Livistona spec. Liverpool River (Blatt & Blüthe) das andere Exemplar ist
Livistona australis

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ohne Angabe der Localität. Der Unterschied zwischen den Beiden Livistonas in N. A. ist besonders in der Frucht, sowie den Blattstielen. Wie ich Ihnen schon früher schrieb, ist die eine species, welche ich vorschlagen würde als L. Leichhardti zu bestimmen, höher im Wuchs, mit runden Früchten und die Blattstiele mit sehr starken Stacheln besetzt. Die zweite Art ist niedrig, unbestachelt & mit ovalen Früchten, so dass humilis oder inermis für diese Art passen würden, keiner dieser Namen ist aber passend für die obige Art. Ich muss noch hinzufügen, dass die Früchte von L. Leichhardti nicht über ½ Zoll im Durchmesser sind,
2
Marginal addition by M: '? wenn reif. Die Ex. der Früchte sind unreif u auch etwas eiförmig'.
& diese Art deshalb wohl nicht mit L. australis zusammen gestellt werden kann. L. Mariae habe ich nie gesehen, doch kann es wohl kaum diese sein, da wenn ich mich recht besinne filamenta zwischen den Blättern sind, was nach Ihren Fragmenta XI bei L. Mariae nicht der Fall ist. Um mein Bestes in dieser Sache zu thun, habe ich heute an meinen Sohn in Port Darwin telegrafirt, um Material von dort so rasch wie möglich zu erhalten. Jedoch können Sie die obige Beschreibungen als positiv correct annehmen.
Ich möchte noch bemerken, dass Ihre Frenela (Callitris) intratropica N. A. so verschieden von der C. verrucosa ist, besonders in der Frucht & im ganzen Habitus, dass die species wieder habilitirt werden sollte. Mit Bailey habe ich nicht viel zu thun gehabt; er ist nicht ins Herbarium gekommen, & hat blos um einige Cap Zwiebeln gebeten, welche ich ihm senden werde. Wegen Ihrer Anfrage re Rust habe ich mit mehreren der Herren gesprochen, Ihr Brief kam jedoch zu spät für die Conference.
Mit bester Hochachtung
Ihr
ergebenster
Maurice Holtze
16 March 1892.
Highly esteemed Baron!
After receipt of your letter
3
Letter not found.
I have immediately checked the Herbarium for Livistona. Unfortunately we have only two specimens of Livistona, both of them in a completely useless state. One is labelled from your Melbourne Herbarium! — Livistona spec., Liverpool River (leaf and flower). The other specimen is
Livistona australis

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without indication of locality. The difference between the two Livistonas in northern Australia is particularly in the fruit, as well as in the petioles. As I have written to you already previously,
4
Letter not found, but probably of August 1890; for M's reply and comments on Livistona see M to M. Holtze, 13 September 1890.
I would propose to determine the one species as L. leichhardtii,
5
See M to M. Holtze, 1883 (in this edition as 83-00-00m), no.332.
which grows taller, with round fruits and the petioles beset with very strong spines. The second species is low -growing, without spines and with oval fruits, so that L. humilis or L. inermis would fit for this species. But none of these names would fit the above species. I must add that the fruits of L. leichhardtii are not more than half an inch in diameter,
6
There is a marginal addition by M: '? when ripe. The specimens of the fruits are not ripe and also slightly ovoid.'
and therefore this species can probably not be placed under L. australis. I have never seen L. mariae, but it can hardly be that species for, if I remember correctly, it has filaments between the leaves, which according to your Fragmenta XI is not the case in L. mariae. To do my best in this matter I have telegraphed my son in Port Darwin
7
Nicholas Holtze took over the position of curator of the Darwin Botanic Garden from his father, when the latter was appointed Director of the Adelaide Botanic Garden in 1891. A specimen of Livistona (MEL 2033787), recorded on M's herbarium label as collected by Nicholas Holtze in 1892 and later determined as
Livistona humilis

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, may be what was sent in response to the father's telegram.
today to obtain material from there as quickly as possible. However, you can accept the above descriptions as positively correct.
In addition I would like to note, that your Frenela (Callitris) intratropica from North Australia differs so much from C. verrucosa, especially in its fruit and in its general habit, that the species should be validated again. I have not had much to do with Bailey, he did not come to the Herbarium and asked only for a few Cape bulbs,
8
From the Cape of Good Hope, i.e. South Africa.
which I shall send him.
9
Bailey 'decided to revisit Adelaide before returning to Brisbane from the meetings held last month in Tasmania of the Association for the Advancement of Science, before which he read a paper upon "The Blight Fungi that have been found to infest living Vegetation"' (Adelaide observer, 6 February 1892, p. 37). He arrived in Adelaide on 27 January 1892 and left on the train to Melbourne on 1 February.
I have spoken with several of the gentlemen concerning your query re rust. However your letter arrived too late for the conference.
10
Letter not found. The third Red Rust Conference opened in Adelaide on 8 March 1892 and ended on 12 March. Reports were carried in the SA newspapers; see, for example, Advertiser (Adelaide), issues between 9 March 1892 (p. 4) and 14 March 1893 (p. 4). A summary of the results of the conference was published in the Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales , vol. 3, 1892, pp 221-6; see also pp. 481-4 for the response of the NSW Department of Agriculture to the recommendation of cross-breeding of wheat to obtain resistant strains. Copies of the report of the conference were distributed free of cost to SA farmers; see Advertiser, 21 July 1892, p. 6.
Very respectfully
your
most devoted
Maurice Holtze.