From Ferdinand von Mueller to John Buchanan   7 Nov 1873

Melbourne

7/11/73.

After my work for the outgoing European mail was completed, dear Mr Buchanan,¹ I looked more closely over your specimens, and I found that you did send 2 small branchlets of the female of the supposed Lepyrodia, which prove this rushlike plant to belong to the nucular not to the capsular section or series of Restiaceae.² It stands precisely in the same relation to Lepyrodia as in S. Africa the genus Elegia stands to Dovea; but as it would introduce a foreign element into the N. Z. flora, it will be best to keep the Chatham Island plant apart from Elegia especially as it has not the deciduous petioles and the large bracts of that genus. Hence nothing is left but to create a new genus for the Chatham-plant and this I intend to call Sporadanthes.³

Be so kind to inform me, whether soon any prints of the N.Z. Institute will appear, as in such a case I could furnish a few notes on the subject for publication. Your N.8 & N.3 (sent perhaps by misplacing the labels as Junci) are Isolepis nodosa Br. The Juncus N.4 is a Scirpus of the series of S. lacustris L. As this series is represented in all parts of the globe, it requires to get together many specimens from the N. & S. Hemisphere & to examine them connectedly. This I intend to do soon, when I have to work up finally the Cyperaceae for the 7th vol. of the Australian Flora,⁴ and then your plant shall also he attended to No universal writer has ever properly defined the limits even of the common ordinary Scirpus lacustris. Your Cyperus though new for N.Z. may not be new to science. I have about half a hundred Cyperi from Australia, and when critically examining them, will attend to your also. I pointed out to Mr Th. Kirk⁵ the identity of his minute annual Cyperus with the S. African Cyper. tenellus before Dr Hooker's second volume appeared.⁶ This shows how carefully anyone must work on these like plants.

Your N.2 is, so far as I can see, identical with the Australian Schoenus brevifolius Br, but no ripe fruits are on your specimens. In this instance and that concerning the Cyperus it would be well to let me know, whether these plants occur only on a few spots near settlements or whether they are widely distributed. In the former case it might be assumed, that they are merely immigrants; in the latter case one would feel justified in adopting them as true N.Z. species. As regards Juncus, Carex, Gahnia &c, it is best to let the examination stand over until I come to the Australian species for the next volume, when the whole can be examined connectedly.⁷ No one can leave his regular engagements for piece work, at least only under particular circumstances, nor is it possible to do full justice to such plants taking them up by themselves. Whenever you will provide me with good specimens, bearing ripe fruit, I will sooner or later examine them fully; I will also be happy in any special case to give you pointed information at once, so far as I can.

Have you any of the Gaimardias of the N.Z. flora to spare? If so, I should be grateful for some specimens. That genus, as far as hitherto known, is not represented in Australia.

Be so kind to label fully any plants, each individually, as regards locality &c, as otherwise mistakes may arise

Regardfully yr

Ferd. von Mueller

The size of labels, shown by the sample, is a good one, and here in use.

Carex

Cyperaceae

Cyperus tenellus

Dovea

Elegia

Gahnia

Gaimardia

Isolepis nodosa

Juncus

Lepyrodia

Restiaceae

Schoenus brevifolius

Scirpus lacustris