12/12/91.
Have spent some time over your Aeschynomene1 from the Swamp, dear Mr Holtze, and feel not yet sure, whether it ought to be considered a form of A. aspera.2 The fruits are broader, and (so far as I have seen them unbroken) consist of only 3, 2 or even only 1 partitions. Is that always so? I notice along the outer edge of the lower petals a remarkable fringe, which seems not to have been formed merely by the wearing away of parenchymatous substance. I have but few flowers, and so cannot settle this question either Let me ask you, to settle these two points from fresh material there.
You will soon hear further from me about your plants. The liberal supply of valuable seeds entitles you also to my best thanks. I hope to see your worthy father in Adelaide next month3
Regardfully and with best festive greeting
your
Ferd. von Mueller.
1324 is a long-flowered variety of Heliotropium ventricosum, RBr., so far as I can see on hurried examination, but I have not yet carefully dissected it.4
Have you the true H. ventricosum with shorter fl. there?5
Have again worked on 1322,6 but not even been able to determine the order to which it belongs, though that will likely be Verbenaceae. Is it a rare plant? Under what circumstances does it occur? What is the color of the corolla? Are the flowers fragrant?
The scandent Bauhinia I am just describing as B. Holtzei from your last set of plants.7 Fortunately you were able to obtain both flowers and fruits. I like to know something about the manner of its occurrence
Aeschynomene aspera
Bauhinia Holtzei
Heliotropium ventricosum
Verbenaceae
See also M to N. Holtze, September 1891 (in this edition as 91-09-00d), no. 1332.
Aeschynomeae aspera var. oligartha (B92.01.03, p. 136).
Maurice Holtze, who had become director of the Adelaide Botanic Garden a few months earlier. M was planning to visit Adelaide to consult Sir Thomas Elder about Antarctic exploration. See also M to N. Holtze, 12 January 1892.
See also N. Holtze to M, 7 March 1892.
This sentence is a marginal addition.
See also M to N. Holtze, September 1891 (in this edition as 91-09-00a). A specimen of Huxleya linifolia (MEL 22383) is accompanied by an undated note in what is probably Holtze's hand: '1322. This has been sent to you several times already, but I have never been able to find fruit until last season when 2 or 3 were seen but unfortunately have been put away very carefully and cannot be now found. The fruit is that of a Clerodendrum (4 one celled pyrenes) Are you able to identify the specs. as sent?'
M exhibited a specimen under the name B. holtzei, collected by Nicholas Holtze, at a meeting of the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria on 14 December 1891; see M to N. Holtze, September 1891 (in this edition as 91-09-00a), and Victorian naturalist (1892), p. 131. However, he subsequently had second thoughts (see M to N. Holtze, 18 December 1891, and N. Holtze to M, 7 March 1892), and seems not to have published the species.
Please cite as “FVM-91-12-12,” 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