The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Bot. Gardens Melbourne. 22 September 1854 ¶ Sir William ¶ ¶ As the "Madras" is leaving our port again tomorrow I take an early opportunity of replying by the overland mail to your kind letters, conve...

Bot. Gardens Melbourne. 22 September 1854

Sir William

As the "Madras" is leaving our port again tomorrow I take an early opportunity of replying by the overland mail to your kind letters, conveyed to me by Messrs Duncan and Anderson,

1

Letters not found.

and to acknowledge the receipt of the two boxes with plants for our garden. Several circumstances unfavourable have caused some of the plants to die, however the greater part of them is in good order and will form an agreable acquisition to this juvenile establishment, for which I have, Sir William, to express my most hearty thanks. I should be sorry to see the Böhmeria, certainly a valuable plant for us, die, — it is in rather a precarious state. Delighted we have been here chiefly with the 3 evergreen oaks, and with the Thea, the first individual of the species we obtained. — It will cause me much pleasure, to do any thing, that lays in my power for the two gardeners, so warmly recommended by you, Sir William —, although it is certainly not so easy for workmen of any kind to find now suitable and lucrative employment, as it was a year or two ago. Besides, the practical management of this garden lays not in my hand, so that the engagement of gardeners rests with Mr Dallachi.

2

i.e. J. Dallachy.

However for two so hardy intelligent and industrious men is hardly any thing to fear.

I have communicated to the Superintendent your request of seeing the cases soon and properly filled on the homeway. The letter, to which you alluded, as probably reaching me before the arrival of Mr Anderson, has unfortunately not yet arrived, altho' we have an overland mail in nearly a month later. I am therefore yet in great anxiety about the arrival of the collection made up for you, Sir William, nearly a year ago as well as the dense set of manuscript, comprising nearly 6 months labour. But I hope, that it all reached you in safety,

3

The missing material did eventually reach Hooker safely; see M to W. Hooker, 1 March 1855.

as well what the late Governor [as] Capt. Carey took home,

4

M to W. Hooker, 28 April 1854; M to W. Hooker, 14 July 1854.

as also the manuscripts send by the "Madras" overland last time,

5

M to W. Hooker, 27 May 1854.

the box with plants and manuscripts by the "Queen of the South",

6

M to W. Hooker, 26 July 1854

the small collection which the poet Howitt undertook to deliver

7

See M to W. Hooker, 3 August 1854.

; and above all, I anxiously hope, Sir William, that all these things will have been pleasing to you, and not obliterated the good opinion, which you condescended to bestow on my humble labours. — It is true, that the specimens are not all in such a good state, as I wished them to be; but this owes to the so ephemerous anthesis of the most plants here and to there great dispersion over so vast a territory. It is much more difficult here to procure collections than in V.D L.,

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Van Diemen’s Land (i.e. Tasmania).

because we have here so much farther to go for them and do not yet enjoy so good roads. —

Of the Argan tree I have seen to my joy two nuts germinate. For your account of this tree and your kind letter I took some while ago an opportunity to tender my thanks.

9

See W. Hooker to M, 9 April 1854, and M to W. Hooker, 14 July 1854. W. Hooker (1854) contains the account of the Argan tree to which M refers.

There are again a considerable number of specimens ready for you, which will be send together with the rest of the manuscripts after my second annual report

10

B54.12.01.

is published in about 6 weeks.

To my great delight Professor Harvey arrived here safely and in good health from K.G.S. about a fourthnight ago.

11

Harvey arrived in Melbourne from King George's Sound on 6 September 1854. See Ducker (1988), pp. 137-8.

It is needless to say, how much I have learnt from this equally amiable and scientific man in the short while, which I have spent as yet with him. He is now on his way to the heads of Port Phillip, and his keen eye and experienced hand will disclose certainly much yet of the marine vegetation. My duties at the ensuing season will of course call me into the field again, and with pleasure I shall follow your advice to explore the alps further. I hope, Sir Charles Hotham will permit my transgressing the boundaries of the colony, so that by visiting also the three main points of the alps in N.S.W. I may be enabled to write some more extensive remarks on the alpine Flora of N. Holl., now so much more interesting since Dr Jos. Hooker adumbrates the Tasman. Flora, to which so many species may be compared.

Lately Dr J. Hookers most interesting and lea[rned]

12

Obscured by binding.

"Himalayan journals"

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J. Hooker (1854).

arrived in Melbourne of which I bought several copies for distribution amongst my friends. I have also recommended it to all scientific men here, as one of the most valuable travellers account ever furnished by the press. —

Knowing how desirous you will be, Sir William, to hear a few interesting (or perhaps so) particulars about the novelties of my last collections I beg to mention the following plants. Cocculus Harveyanus

14

Cocculus harveyanus was an herbarium name; see for example MEL1563046, TCD9844, K644647. The plant was listed without description as C. harveyanus (B54.10.01, p. 9), which is referred to in M's description of Sarcopetalum harveyanum (B62.02.01, p. 27), the relevant part of which had been printed in time for Bentham to refer to it in a paper read on 7 March 1861; see Bentham (1861), p. 52. For M's explanation for removing it from Cocculus , see M to W. Harvey, 17 August 1859.

adds Menispermeae to the New Holl[and] Flora; Hutchinsia antipoda, indigenous and allied to H. petraea, with which I have compared it, since I received at length my miscellaneous herbarium from home, comprising about 10,000 sp. Comparison has also proved that Samolus valerandi R. Br. is most certainly distinct from the Linnean plant, but perhaps identical with S. floribundis H.B.K. I named it S. micranthus. — Erysimum cardaminoides, Lepidium monoplociodes, Monoploca lepto-petala. Murray. Clematis co[m]ta, Cl. leptophylla,

15

Clematis comta and C. leptophylla were listed without description in B54.10.01, p. 9. The latter plant was described as C. microphylla var leptophylla on the basis of material collected from the Snowy and Mitta Mitta Rivers: see MEL 2280045, which has labels for 'Clematis leptophylla', with 'microphylla' interlined. See Bentham (1863-78), vol. 1, p. 8. No other use of Clematis comta has been found (see APNI, accessed 15 October 2019).

Comesp.

16

Comesperma.

polygaloides, Marianthus bignoniaceus, Cissus Australasica (not antarc[tica)],

17

Obscured by binding.

Dodon. bursarifol,

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Dodonea bursarifolia.

D. deflexa, D. procumbens, Tribul. acanthococcus, Crowea exalata, Boronia coerulescens, clavellifolia, Asterolasia (n.g. allied to Geleznowia) phebalioides and trymalioides, Phebalium ozothamnoides Eriostem. phylicoides, trachyphyllus, lancifolius, Abutilon otocarpum, Ab. Behrianum, Sida humillima, S. intricata, Cucurbita micrantha, Mniarum singuliflorum (always 1 fl; 2 bracts and calyx 5 parted.), Myriophyll. simplicifol.,

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Myriophyllum simplicifolium.

Ammannia Australasica, Bauera sessiliflora, Ricinocarpus sessiliflorus, Trachycaryon Hookeri, T. Cunninghami, Beyeria opaca, Phyllanth. lacunarius, P. trachyspermus, Halothamnus (allied to Mozinna) microphyllus, Celastrus, australis Ha[rvey]

20

Obscured by binding.

& Muel. (for which I received Dr Harveys valuable opinion) Heterodendron angustifolium Trymal. uncinatum, diversifol., velutinum, leucophract,

21

Trymalium uncinatum, diversifolium, velutinum, and leucophractum.

Lhotzkya genethylloides, Eucal. gracilis, santalifolia, largiflorens (with always double opercul.), E. leucoxylon, Galium geminifolium (leaves 2! opposite) Centella cuneifolia, Anisotome simplicifolia, Sambucus xanthocarpa, a tree like S. nigra, but only 3 or 4 petals like S. Gaudichi.

22

S. Gaudichaudiana.

Euryb. alpigena,

23

Neither Eurybia alpigena nor Eurybiopsis alpigena has been found (APNI, accessed 29 August 2019). M described Eurybia alpicola in B60.13.01, p. 229, from specimens collected in the Cobboras Mountains, where he had collected in his 1854 exploration. See Gillbank (1992).

Brachycome chrysoglossa, a true sp. with yellow ray! Calotis anthemoides, Angianth.

24

Angianthus.

brachypappus, Helipter.

25

Helipterum.

exiguum and praecox, Gnaphalium alpigenum, Antennaria nubigena, perhaps Gnaph. Catipes DC, who saw then most likely only the fertile plant; and several other interesting Composi[tae;]

26

Obscured by binding.

Goodenia heteromera, Velleya connata, Coleostylis Sonderi & C. nudicaulis, Pholidia divaricata, Ph. polyclada, Prostanthera phylicifolia, coccinea and spinosa!, Heliotrop.

27

Heliotropium.

lacunarium, Mitrasacme distylis (like M. paradoxa, but the stylis detached!, Limnanth.

28

Limnanthemum.

crenatum, Solanu[m]

29

Obscured by binding.

lacunar, pulchell, &c,

30

S. lacunarium, S. pulchellum.

Lycium australe, Grevillea dimorpha, confertifolia, lobata, pterosperma, Pimelae alpina, Rhagod.

31

Rhagodia.

deltophylla, [r]igens, nitrariacea, Obione inflata, [m]utata, spongiosa & rhagodioides, Kochia brachyptyera,

32

Kochia brachyptera?

K. sedifolia, K. desertic[u]la,

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Kochia deserticola?

Kentropsis cornuta, Eriochyton sclerolaenoides,

34

Eriochiton schlerolaenoides was a herbarium name (see, for example, MEL 101474), listed without a description in B55.10.01, p. 15. M later described it as Echinopsilon sclerolaenoides in B57.09.03, p. 75.

Osteocarpum salsuginosum, Atriplex leptocarpum, lacunarium, Tandonia, Anisacantha quinquecuspis, tricuspis, bicuspis & kentropsidea, Polygonum diclinum, Choretrum chrysanthum, Exocarpus pendula, Udora australis, Thalassia ovalis, Poa brizochloa &c Panicum convallium, prolutum & ammophelum, Nephrodium lacerum &c &c &c

Of all these (with the Chenopodeae now under the hand of the amiable [Fenzl]

35

E. Fenzl had worked on the Chenopodiaceae for many years (see TL2) although no evidence has been found that he published any from M's collections.

full diagnoses and descriptions are either on the way to you, Sir William, or will be despatched to you in a few weeks, so that you will see I am not idle.

36

Some of the names mentioned in the list were not published validly, being listed without description in B55.10.01; many of the others were described in B54.13.06, B55.09.03, and B55.13.05. Most of the Chenopodiaceae — Atriplex and Kochia — were not described until 1857, in B57.09.04.

— And yet I should have been much farther, had I not been obliged to produce timber specimens for the Paris exhibition. 24 kinds (belonging to 15 nat. orders have been obtained in transverse sections, and I shall order them to be remitted from Paris to your magnificent garden.

37

The wood specimens, listed in M to J. Foster, 31 August 1854, are listed in the Kew Museum catalogue under 'Victoria Collection of Woods', (RBG Kew, Cambridge Cottage Archives, box 1, notes and MSS to 1864).

At Sealers Cove I collected beautiful specimens of Dawsonia superba, and several new algae, all of which have been placed to Dr Harveys service.

I must finally pray for your kind excuse of my hasty writings, but I am pressed for time to finish the elaboration of the material for my report, urged to be laid before the Legisl. Council

38

B54.10.01 was laid before Parliament on 24 October 1854.

With my best wishes for your

health I beg to subscribe myself

your most devoted friend

Ferd Mueller

Sir W. J. Hooker K.H. &c &c.

I shall send now also specimens and description of Juncella Tasmanica, a new genus of Desvauxiae established as early as 1848

39

Sonder (1856a), p. 226, published Devauxia glabra using M’s herbarium name, misidentifying the locality of ‘Mount Emu Creek’ (Vic) as ‘Mount Gumcreek’; see M's label on the specimen sheet returned from Sonder's herbarium, MEL 536054. A specimen with the same herbarium name is in Kew, K 674557. No new genus erected by M in Desvauxiae (= Centrolepidaceae) has been found (APNI accessed 15 October 2019).

[and] a few V. D. L. specimens of a little plant with the [nature] of Juncus capitatis.

Abutilon Behrianum

Abutilon otocarpum

Ammannia Australasica

Angianthus brachypappus

Anisacantha bicuspis

Anisacantha kentropsidea

Anisacantha quinquecuspis

Anisacantha tricuspis

Anisotome simplicifolia

Antennaria nubigena

Asterolasia phebalioides

Asterolasia trymalioides

Atriplex leptocarpum

Bauera sessiliflora

Beyeria opaca

Böhmeria

Boronia clavellifolia

Boronia coerulescens

Brachycome chrysoglossa

Calotis anthemoides

Celastrus australis

Centella cuneifolia

Chenopodeae

Choretrum chrysanthum

Cissus antarctica

Cissus Australasica

Clematis coneta

Clematis leptophylla

Cocculus Harveyanus

Coleostylis nudicaulis

Coleostylis Sonderi

Comesperma polygaloides

Compositae

Crowea exalata

Cucurbita micrantha

Dawsonia superba

Desvauxiae

Dodonea bursarifol

Dodonea deflexa

Dodonea procumbens

Eriochyton sclerolaenoides

Eriostemon lancifolius

Eriostemon phylicoides

Eriostemon trachyphyllus

Erysimum cardaminoides

Eucalyptus gracilis

Eucalyptus largiflorens

Eucalyptus leucoxylon

Eucalyptus santalifolia

Eurybia alpigena.

Exocarpus pendula

Galium geminifolium

Geleznowia

Gnaphalium alpigenum

Gnaphalium Catipes

Goodenia heteromera

Grevillea confertifolia

Grevillea dimorpha

Grevillea lobata

Grevillea pterosperma

Halothamnus microphyllus

Heliotropium lacunarium

Helipterum exiguum

Helipterum praecox

Heterodendron angustifolium

Hutchinsia antipoda

Hutchinsia petraea

Juncella Tasmanica

Juncus capitatis

Kentropsis cornuta

Kochia brachyptyera

Kochia deserticula

Kochia sedifolia

Solanum lacunarium

Lepidium monoplociodes

leucophractum

Lhotzkya genethylloides

Limnanthemum crenatum

Lycium australe

Marianthus bignoniaceus

Menispermeae

Mitrasacme distylis

Mitrasacme paradoxa

Mniarum singuliflorum

Monoploca lepto-petala

Mozinna

Myriophyllum simplicifolium

Nephrodium lacerum

Obione inflata

Obione mutata

Obione rhagodioides

Obione spongiosa

Osteocarpum salsuginosum

Panicum ammophelum

Panicum convallium

Panicum prolutum

Phebalium ozothamnoides

Pholidia divaricata

Pholidia polyclada

Phyllanthus lacunarius

Phyllanthus trachyspermus

Pimelae alpina

Poa brizochloa

Polygonum diclinum

Prostanthera coccinea

Prostanthera phylicifolia

Prostanthera spinosa

Rhagodia deltophylla

Rhagodia nitrariacea

Rhagodia rigens

Ricinocarpus sessiliflorus

Sambucus Gaudichaudiana

Sambucus nigra

Sambucus xanthocarpa

Samolus floribundis

Samolus micranthus

Samolus valerandi

Sida humillima

Sida intricata

Solanum lacunarium

Solanum pulchellum

Tandonia

Thalassia ovalis

Thea

Trachycaryon Cunninghami

Trachycaryon Hookeri

Tribulus acanthococcus

Trymalium diversifolium

Trymalium uncinatum

Trymalium velutinum

Udora australis

Velleya connata

The correspondence of

Ferdinand von Mueller

Physical location:

Preferred Citation: