From Otto Tepper to Ferdinand von Mueller   3 May 1891

Hope Cottage, Somerset Place, Norwood,

3 May, 91.

Hochverehrtester Hr. Baron!

Beifolgend beehre ich mich ein kleines Packet Roebuck Bay Pflanzen (Nos 35, 101, 134-150) an Sie abzusenden, und Sie um die Bestimmung derselben zu bitten. Einliegend sende ich Ihnen auch etwas Samen von dem Abutilon Mr. J. Bagot's, wovon ich Ihnen vor einigen Zeit Spezimens sandte. Ist es Ihnen gelungen die Art zu bestimmen? Blattform (aber nicht Grösse) u Blumen scheinen mir mit A. graveolens zu stimmen, aber der Geruch fehlt, während für A. muticum die Blumen viel zu gross u. die Fruchtform eine andere ist, indem die Ecken scharf sind aber ohne vortretende Spitzen.

Habe ich es Ihnen schon mitgetheilt dass ich bei meinem Besuche der Barossa Ranges bei Lyndoch (letzter Ostern) ein neuen Standort für Hymenanthera Banksii, nämlich den westlichen Abhang eines der Berge.

Gehörten die gesandten Früchte der Adansonia Gregorii, od. einer andern Art an?

Hoffentlich haben Sie sich von Ihren N. Zealand Reise u den darauffolgenden Anstrengungen in Betreff der Elder Expl. Party erholt u. genieszen gute Gesundheit.

Mit Hochachtung

Der Ihrige

J. G. O. Tepper

Hope Cottage, Somerset Place, Norwood,

3 May, 91.

Most highly esteemed Baron!

By the same post I have the honour to send you a small parcel of Roebuck Bay1 plants (Nos 35, 101, 134-150), and ask you to determine them.2 Enclosed I am sending you also some seeds of the Abutilon of Mr. J. Bagot, of which I sent specimens some time ago.3 Have you succeeded in determining the species? Leafform (but not size) and flowers seem to me to agree with A. graveolens, but lacks the perfume, whereas the flowers are much too large for A. muticum and the shape of fruit is different, the corners being sharp but without projecting points.4

Have I already told you that on my visit to the Barossa Ranges near Lyndoch5 (last Easter) I [found] a new locality for Hymenanthera banksii, that is the western slope of one of the hills.6

Do the sent fruits belong to Adansonia gregorii, or to another species?

It is to be hoped you have recovered from your New Zealand trip7 and the strain following on in connection with the Elder Exploring Party and you enjoy good health.

With respect

Your

J. G. O. Tepper

Abutilon graveolens

Abutilon muticum

Adansonia gregorii

Hymenanthera banksii

WA.

There are multiple specimens with these collecting numbers in MEL, except for one specimen only numbered 143 that is dated 1893 and so could not have been included in this package. All but specimens with numbers 135, 138, 144 and 148 include a specimen from Roebuck Bay or its vicinity. There are two nos.101 from Roebuck Bay, different species collected at different times. Those from Roebuck Bay are dated between September 1889 and February 1891. No report by M on this collection has been found.

MS is accompanied by a paper seed packet labelled: 'Abutilon Peak, Central Australia […] […] A. graveolens no scent. Fruit different from A. muticum Mr J. Bagot's Garden, Adelaide original Seeds from vicinity of the Peake Far North, S.A. March 26 1891 Abutilon Tepper.'

Abutilon flowers had been sent with O. Tepper to M, 22 April 1891.

SA.

The find had been reported in O. Tepper to M, 7 April 1890 (in this edition as 91-04-07c).

M went to Christchurch, NZ, in January 1891 to attend the third Congress of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science.

MS found with a specimen of Abutilon sp. (MEL 2221887).

Please cite as “FVM-91-05-03,” 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 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/91-05-03