11/9/90
Es ist von Sydney aus eine Frage in Erörterung, geehrter Herr Tepper, welche zu erledigen Sie hülfreich sein könnten durch locale Erfahrung. Es handelt sich darum, ob die Blumen der Logania-Arten Süd-Australiens wohlriechend sind, wie die der Logania floribunda, welche in hohem Grade Duft aushauchen. Nahe Melbourne giebt es keine Loganien, aber veilleicht sind Ihnen dort in Cultur oder wild Arten zugänglich.
Dann möchte ich fragen, ob Sie in Ihrer gewöhnlichen Bereitwilligkeit mir vielleicht Ex. von Caladenia reticulata, C. toxochila, C. tentaculata, C. leptochila liefern oder leihen können, ohne Hr Prof. Tate darum zu bitten. Er hat mir von diesen theilweise Ex. geschickt, aber das Material ist eigentlich für critischen Vergleich mit verwandten west-austr. Arten zu spärlich. Er scheint etwas unmuthig zu sein, dass ich diese nicht alle in den 2tn Census aufgenommen habe, u auch einige andere seiner Pflanzen u so ist es mit Fitzgerald in Bezug auf bisher unabgebildete Orchideen, da er überhaupt nie u niemand Ex. giebt, was Prof Tate doch thut.
Sie wissen selbst, wie ich mich beeilen musste, 1889 den 2. Census durch den Druck zu bringen, um für die bedeutenden Erfordernisse der Austr. Assoc. doch theils frei zu sein Dec 1889 u Jan 1890, so dass Suppl. Verrede u viele Notizen from … (…)1 aus bleiben musste, u Arten, die ich noch nicht selbst genau untersuchen konnte, mit manchen meiner eignen, sind desshalb damals einstweilen ausgelassen.
Mit bestem Grusse
Ferd. von Mueller.
11/9/90
From Sydney there is a question under discussion, esteemed Mr Tepper, that you could be helpful in settling through local experience. It concerns whether the flowers of Logania species of South Australia are fragrant, such as that of Logania floribunda which emits scent to a great extent.2 Near Melbourne there are no Loganias, but perhaps there are species available to you there in cultivation or wild.
Then I would like to ask whether you with your usual willingness can provide or lend me perhaps specimens of Caladenia reticulata, C. toxochila, C. tentaculata, C. leptochila, without asking Professor Tate for them. He has partly sent me specimens of these, but the material is really too sparse for critical comparison with related West Australian species. He seems to be somewhat displeased that I have not included all these in the second Census,3 and also some others of his plants and so is it with Fitzgerald4 in reference to hitherto unfigured orchids, since he generally never gives [them] and does not give specimens to anybody, which Professor Tate certainly does.
You know yourself how I had to hurry to bring the second Census through the press in 1889 in order to be yet partly free for the important requirements of the Australasian Association in December 1889 and January 1890,5 so that I had to leave out the supplementary preface and many notes from .... (…) and species that I could still not myself carefully investigate, with some of my own, were therefore at the time temporarily left out.
With best greetings
Ferd. von Mueller.
Caladenia leptochila
Caladenia reticulata
Caladenia tentaculata
Caladenia toxochila
Logania floribunda
M has left at this point a space followed by a set of parentheses with a further space between them.
The source and nature of the discussion has not been found.
B89.12.03.
i.e. Robert Fitzgerald.
M was President of the second congress of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, held in Melbourne in January 1890.
MS annotation by Tepper: 'Reply 13.9.90 [letter not found] Spec. Caladenia sent to be returned part each species returned'.
Please cite as “FVM-90-09-11,” 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