26/2/82
I write a few lines, dear Professor, to tell you that I have described your new Phyllanthus from the Bundaleer-Range1 as P. Tatei, and that the description will appear in the March-Number of the Southern Science Journal.2 My sister, the widow of Dr Wehl, has just sent me the Helichrysum cinereum FvM from Rivoli-Bay;3 it is new for your list. It is a stately plant. The main-object of writing to you is this. I have just learnt from Mr Burkitt,4 that there on the Rivers near Port Darwin5 a second species of Bamboo occurs; — the one is rarer than the other; one spiny the other not; one not so tall as the other. You may be so fortunate, to find the flowers and seeds of both!6 I draw your attention also once more to the Palms & Cycas there. Bring kindly a complete leaf of each, ♂ & ♀ flowers & ripe fruits. Of course they cannot be just put into paper, but should be tied into a bundle, in canvass, or sacking, each species by itself
With best salutation to you & your colleagues
Ferd. von Mueller.
It is just now important for me to know, whether the Cycas near Port Darwin is the same as the one from the East coast!
Cycas
Helichrysum cinereum
Phyllanthus Tatei
North of Clare, SA.
M described Phyllanthus tatei in B82.03.02, p. 55.
SA.
Probably John Burkitt (c.1834-1909), but MEL holds a series of NT specimens of numerous species collected 1881 and attributed to his brother W. C. Burkitt; there is no bamboo specimen at MEL attributed to a Burkitt.
NT.
Tate was about to visit the Northern Territory in company with a group of South Australian parliamentarians.
Please cite as “FVM-82-02-26,” 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