19/10/93.
Herewith, dear Mr Rodway, I beg to send you a specimen of Helichrysum obtusifolium from a Tasmanian locality for exhibition at the next meeting of your R.S.1 It was just sent me by Mrs Maclaine from Clarke-Island.2 The discovery of this conspicuous species within Tasmanian territory does not come unexpectedly; indeed I expressed my opinion, that it would also be an inmate of your floral realm, when many years ago I collected it at Wilson's promontory,3 therefore the Southern extreme of continental Australia. Early in November 8 Members of the Vict. Field-Naturalists Club will make an excursion to the Furneaux-Group, when likely additions to the records of Tasmanian native plants will be made also.
With regardful remembrance your
Ferd. von Mueller.
I may mention, that I named H. obtusifolium as early as 1847, when I discovered it at St Vincent's gulf4 myself, altho' its description was published only several years later.5
Helichrysum obtusifolium
Royal Society [of Tasmania].
One of the Furneaux Group, Bass Strait.
Vic.
SA.
Helichrysum obtusifolium was described in Sonder (1852a), p. 513, under the joint authorship of M and Sonder. The specimen MEL 604819 from the Sonder herbarium is undated but carries this name; however, the locality cited in the protologue is Encounter Bay rather than St Vincent's Gulf.
MS found with a specimen of Veronica plebeja (HO 22397). MS is accompanied by the mounted specimen annotated by M: 'Veronica plebeja Br to which adheres a fragment of Hydrocotyle hirta'.
Please cite as “FVM-93-10-19,” 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