7/7/93.
As you rightly assumed, dear Mr Rodway, the Leptorrhynchos, sent by you, is L. nitidulus. When collecting myself this species in the then wilds of Gippsland, fully 40 years ago, I recognized it as the Candollean plant, and as such it appears printed in my large Reports to the Vict. Parliament in 1854, already.1 Steetz already in 1844 distinguished L. linearis from L. nitidulus.2 To make quite sure, I sent a specimen of the Gippsland-plant, (which is identical with yours) to Alph. D.C., asking him, to compare it with his father's original specimen of L. nitidulus, and the result was a declaration of identity.3
Simultaneously I asked Prof Ascherson in Berlin, to reexamine the original specimen of Lessing's L. linearis, and — as predicted by me — he declared it also a form of L. squamatus.4
I fear, you lost all faith in me for help. But the plants of the Elder-Exped. took up much time (over 700 species),5 the Bailey-intrusion (now happily over come)6 upset me much in calm work, the reduced means of the Department, — gradually to be regained — retarded work also on systematic subjects, the interests of the bread-winning people being paramount especially in such dire times of7 these. But gradually all matters get into right course again.
This shows you, how I always persevered to clear off any doubts. 8
Leptorrhynchos linearis
Leptorrhynchos nitidulus
Leptorrhynchos squamatus
B54.12.01, p. 12.
In Steetz (1845), p. 450, as Leptorhynchos.
Letters not found.
Letters not found.
Not published until 1896; see B96.14.02.
F. M. Bailey had sought to write a supplementary volume to Flora australiensis (Bentham (1863-78)) but had withdrawn in the face of M's protests. See the copy of Bailey's circular sent as F. Bailey to M, March 1893 (in this edition as 93-03-00b); see also Clements (1998) and Lucas (2003), pp. 272-4.
as?
The text completely fills two pages, with the final sentence a marginal addition. There is no valediction or signature.
Please cite as “FVM-93-07-07,” 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