18/3/78.
I thank you, dear Mr Buchanan,1 for sending me the small-leaved Veronica which in many respects is very interesting. Your Dichelachnes I will carefully examine, when I get my extensive series of specimens of that genus accessible again, they having been lent with all my other Gramineae for Mr Bentham's use in the elaboration of the 7th vol of the fl. Austral.2
The position of the arista, dorsal or nearly terminal, mainly distinguishes the two species. you quite correctly recognized the true Dichelachne sciurea, but my impression is that it cannot be separated from Cavanilles Stipa micrantha, as mentioned in my fragm. VIII, 105.3 Indeed I regard Dichelachne only as a section of Stipa, though Bentham places it next to Agrostis. Steudel described several Dichelachnes, the definition of which I will compare with your supposed form of D. crinita, as soon as I can get at my specimens again.
I think, that I mentioned to you before the fact, that I find Stylidium subulatum to be a true Forstera or Phyllachne.4
Regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller.
The numbers of stamens in Dichelachne should be carefully observed. Can you kindly procure for me specimens of your two Zosteras with ripe fruits? I imagine, that not all your oceanic Monocotyledoneae are as yet fully known.
There is also a fresh water plant, allied to Hydropeltis & Cabomba, in your islands, of which I have only one imperfect specimen, which as yet prevents me to identify it with any of the American species. Did you never see it? How far south grows your Kentia Palm
N.Z seeds more always useful to me for foreign interchanges.
Agrostis
Cabomba
Dichelachne crinita
Dichelachne sciurea
Forstera
Gramineae
Hydropeltis
Kentia
Monocotyledoneae
Phyllachne
Stipa micrantha
Stylidium subulatum
Zostera
Please cite as “FVM-78-03-18,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on