From Frederick Bailey   8 December 1892

December 8th [189]21

Dear Baron

Before publishing as a fresh species a Hypserpa of the Barron river I would ask you to reexamine your specimen of H. Selwyni and let me know if your2 were correct in giving the number of stamens as 9-10 all the flowers which I have opened of mine contained 12. Was the stem of your plant coated with a white mealy substance: and was the inflorescence inserted a short distance above the axils? The leaves of my plant are much larger than what you describe. H. Selwyni is one of the many Queensland plants which have been named by you but of which I cannot get specimens. And you know that it is not always possible to determine from descriptions alone. I shall be glad to receive specimens of the typical plant but if such cannot be spared kindly answer the above. I send you specimens of my plant which if new I shall name H. [dealbata].3 With this I also send what I take to be Pycnarrhena australiana F.v.M. also fruiting specimens of Graptophyllum spinigerum F.v.M. which was gathered by my son about 80 miles from Brisbane (Eumundi) I have other but cannot at present look them up Wishing you the Compliments of the season.

Yours truly

F. M. Bailey

 

Graptophyllum spinigerum

Hypserpa dealbata

Hypserpa Selwyni

Pycnarrhena australiana

1
editorial addition.
2
you?
3
Bailey's proposed name seems not to have been published. He apparently found insufficient differences to distinguish it from M's species. In Bailey (1899-1905), pt. 1, pp. 30-1, after giving his own description of H. Selwynii (which he transferred to Limacia) Bailey wrote: 'The above is written from the examination of specimens received from E. Cowley, Kamerunga, and these in general appearance seem identical with a small specimen received by me from the late Baron Mueller; his description and mine in some respects differ, but not, in my opinion, sufficient to found distinct species upon'.

Please cite as “FVM-92-12-08,” 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 19 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/92-12-08