19/9/81
May I draw your particular attention to the enclosed fung, dear Dr Cooke, which seems to me to constitute a new genus nearest to Elaphomyces. I have divided the few specimens so as to supply you, the Rev. M. J. Berkeley & the Rev C. Kalchbrenner.1 The loculation by which the periperic sporiferous space is interrupted seems remarkable, so the large solid central mass which is granular under the microscope. The closely packed spreading millions of threads far more delicate than those of the finest spider webs, are — as you will notice — beset with egg shaped spores in uncountable vastness of number.
The name is derived from Potorous, that given by Desmarest to the Kangaroo Rats (from the Aboriginal appellation "Potoroo") these animals feasting on this fung, scraping it up from its concealment 3 or 4 inches underground. It came from a place near the coast between Point d’Entrecasteaux & Point Nuyts, 2 and was sent me by Mr Th Muir, whom like all other correspondents of mine I had repeatedly asked to secure any fungs he might meet with.
As Elaphomyces indicates a sort of truffle, of which the stags are fond I hope you will think the allusion I made a happy one.
Of course I may be quite wrong in this for I never had time to study fungs methodically, my energies having3
Elaphomyces
Please cite as “FVM-81-09-19,” 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 26 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/81-09-19