20/8/82
I spent the spare hours of the last three1 days, dear Prof Tate, to do something to your plants, but was not very successful, the main difficulty with the new forms presenting itself through absense of fruit, which at the time of your tour seems not to have been obtainable. Thus I find, that the Hibiscus must stand over, as the hastate leaves, though remarkable, may indicate only a form of H. rhodopetalus, to which you referred the species already.
The new Ruellia or rather Strobilanthes I have ventured to describe, without fruit.2 What I would propose to you now is to publish a list of all the northern species so far as named of your own journey and give along with that list the diagnosis of the Ruellia, as transmitted herewith. It is not good to attempt too much at a time; successively other instalments of your plants might be given, and finally a full list of all known from Arnhems Land. As possibly the new acanthaceous plant may have gone in Schultz's sets to Europe, it would be well to publish it at once3
For the next 2 weeks my spare hours must be again given up to the Census of Austr. plant-species,4 and to writing a lecture to be delivered in Ballarat, and which I have not even yet commenced to elaborate, it requiring lots of details to be arranged, as it is one of a series, to be printed.5
The death of my poor & genial friend, the Rev. John Stobbs, brought about much sorrow to me, as he was one of the few genuine friends, I ever had since my early orphanage in life. I delivered a few days ago an adress of mourning6 to the Literary Association of his Church, he being its President. Perhaps I may soon follow him into eternity.
Mr Kempe has sent just a (Pentatropis7) which appears distinct from the three8 others of Australia, but the limits of them as regards specific demarcation have to be still further traced.
In September I will resume working on your plants; meanwhile you will get one or two more sheets of the census.
Regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller.
Your compilation of the N. territory plants is very good. So I return it rather than delay it for additions as supplements must still follow from time to time.
The M'Kinlay-River seems an excellent locality for new plants. Can you get more from thence through Amateurs?
Hibiscus rhodopetalus
Pentatropis
Ruellia
Strobilanthes
two deleted.
Read to the Royal Society of South Australia on 5 September 1882 and published as Strobilanthes tatei in B82.12.05.
This sentence is a marginal annotation on the same page as the preceding paragraph. Though M gave no indication of where he meant it to be inserted, it clearly belongs here. M was aware that Schomburgk had not sent him some sets of the plants collected in the NT by Frederick Schultze in 1869-70 (M to R. Tate, 11 July 1879, and notes thereto). The new plant was published quickly; see n. 2 above.
B83.03.04.
B82.13.07. See also M to R. Tate, 12 August 1882 (in this edition as 82-08-12b).
The Argus published an extensive report on 14 August 1882 of Stobbs's funeral, held on 12 August, at which M was a pall-bearer, and of memorial services held on Sunday 13 August. However, M's elegy was not reported.
MS annotation interlined by [Tate]: 'Daemia in Asclepiad'.
four deleted.
Please cite as “FVM-82-08-20,” 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