To Ralph Tate   2 March 1884

2/3/84.

 

One of the sp. of Atriplex, just sent by you, dear Prof. Tate, is A. leptocarpum, typical;1 the other seems a mere form of it. The Ptilotus is = P. parvifolius. I have it also from Mt. Poole,2 collected by the Rev W. Webster. The Hydrocotyle seems a large form of H. callicarpa.3

Did you find Hibiscus Krichauffii near the Vict boundary on the Murray R.? In that case it could be recorded as Victorian, and would then be the first spec. of that almost tropical Genus in this colony.

Let me congratulate you on the happy event, which will place you a generation higher in your family-life.4 Your future son in law will make still many additional botanic discoveries and — I trust — the young Lady too — on a field so far inland; if minute annuals in the cool season are not overlooked, and if fruiting specimens are not passed.

Regardfully

your

Ferd. von Mueller.

 

Let me hope, that you recovered from the effect of the cold and the fever; you seem so robust, that illness cannot have a long hold upon you. My cough is alleviated but has not ceased, and the cool season is sure to give relapses

— Sarcostemma australe5 would also be new to Victoria, if it was found near our boundary. I never had a chance to explore the N.W. of Victoria well; it is such a long and costly journey to travel, though now the railroads offer some approach

 

Atriplex leptocarpum

Hibiscus Krichauffii

Hydrocotyle callicarpa

Ptilotus parvifolius

Sarcostemma australe

1
MS annotation by Tate: 'accepted'.
2
MS annotation by Tate: 'blundered here! misreading parvifolius parviflorus'.
3
MS annotation by Tate: 'no fruit of Trachycarpa'.
4
Tate's daughter Beatrice married John H. Newman on 26 March 1885.
5
MS annotation by Tate: 'certainly within 2 miles of Boundary Hibiscus Krichauffii'.

Please cite as “FVM-84-03-02a,” 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 7 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/84-03-02a