To Ralph Tate   November 1882

Sunday.1

 

In first instance, dear Prof Tate, let me thank you for the trouble, you have taken in writing out the suppl. list for your census, to which I can add at once a very interesting Swainsona from near Eucla.2 I send a specimen of it, and will do so with any other plants of SA., which I may describe, and which may not be otherwise accessible for you.

Next let me say, that I have the Violaceae at this moment not readily accessible, but will think of your Hybanthus and describe it more fully; meanwhile it is nominally safe. I will also see to the Polymeria carefully, as it will be soon required for the census.

The Pterostylis, sent by your assistant or disciple from Kangaroo Island, is P. praecox.

Most creditable as Mr Fitzgeralds work is, we must not implicitly accept all his forms of orchids as specific, and this he himself admits. So (I speak êntre nous) some of his novel species have yet to pass an ordeal!

I will look up the only specimen of Tatea and send it back to you.3 I should think a pencil sketch would suffice for your Pt Darwin correspondent. Herewith order for paper of Candidature of RS.4 Gladly will I support your election, but for 1883 (March) are two Australians already in the field, namely the Reverend J. Tenison Woods and Mr J. Forrest;5 so it will be a matter for your consideration, whether you will wait til 1884.6 Prof M'Coy was only elected at advanced age two years ago. I exerted myself greatly for him.7 You have many personal friends at home, who could help you. After the mail for Europe has left to morrow I will attend to your Hibiscus &c.

Justicia Bonneyana occurs within S.A territory; it was from very imperfect material without fruit first described as Chloanthes Bonneyana.8

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.

 

Chloanthes Bonneyana

Hibiscus

Hybanthus

Justicia Bonneyana

Polymeria

Pterostylis praecox

Swainsona

Tatea

Violaceae

1
Approximate date established from reference to Royal Society nomination certificate, which Tate had returned to M by early December 1882, probably with his letter of 29 November (letter not found) to which M refers in his letter to Tate, 6 December 1882, since M sent the form to James Hector the same day; see M to J. Hector, 6 December 1882 (in this edition as 82-12-06b).
2
WA, close to the border with SA.
3
There is a tick in the margin beside this sentence.
4
Royal Society (of London).
5
Tenison Woods was a candidate for election, always unsuccessfully, in 1883-4 and 1886-8. A completed nomination for Forrest was never registered at the Royal Society.
6
Tate decided to proceed; see M to J. Hector, 6 December 1882 (in this edition as 82-12-06b). in the event, however, though M went ahead and collected the necessary signatures to support the nomination, Tate was first a candidate in the Society's election in 1884.
7
See M to T. Huxley, 8 June 1879; M to J. Hooker, 8 June 1879 (in this edition as 79-06-08b); and M to W. Carruthers, 8 June 1879 (in this edition as 79-06-08f).
8
There is a tick in the margin beside this paragraph. M named Cloanthes bonneyana in B76.07.01, p. 73; he recombined it as Justicia bonneyana in B82.04.03, p. 74.

Please cite as “FVM-82-11-00,” 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 25 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/82-11-00