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RBG Kew, Directors' letters, vol. LXXIV, Australia letters 1851-8, letter no. 149. 55.03.01

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Hooker, 1855-03-01. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id/55-03-01>, accessed November 15, 2024

1
For an edited copy of this letter see B55.08.01. The changes in the printed version noted here are those that alter sense, or the spelling of plant and place names.
Lake Wellington, Gipps land,
March. 1. 1855.
Sir William,
Since I had the honor of adressing you (from Buchan 22 Jan. 55) when giving you a short account of the alpine vegetation of Mount Coskiusko
2
Kosciuszko.
&c, I have been travelling for about a fourthnight in the lower south eastern part of Gipps land. I collected in the Cabbage-tree Country
Cissus Australasica

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beautifully in flower, but I was again too late for
Celastrus Australis

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,
Cocculus Harveyanus

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3
The name on M's labels on K 644647, K 644648 and TCD 9844, all filed as Sarcopetalum harveyanum, the name given by M in B62.03.03, p. 27. See M to. W. Harvey, 17 August 1859.
and others, which are yet required in an early state of development. The additional plants from this district were limited,
Lobelia purpurascens

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, a
Camphoromyrtus

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, a
Notelaea

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,
Solanum pungetium

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are amongst them. On the coast, where a few algae were drifted up, I found the beautiful very fleshy
Senecio spathulatus

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,
Zoysia pungens

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,
Panicum paradoxum

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, R.Br. and in morasses a Lysimachia, which appears to be identical with Lysim. vulgaris. It is certainly indigenous and offers a new instance of the wide distribution of swamp- or water plants over the globe. The Lysimachia is accompanied by more than a dozend of its usual consociates at home. Here on the coast and in other parts of Gipps land I observed a Solanum, called by the aborigines Gunyang,
4
printed as Gungang.
which promises to become an additional fruit shrub of our gardens. I have not yet obtained the perfect ripe fruit, which is said to be of excellent taste and of which the natives are passionately fond. It is next allied to Sol. laciniatum, yet widely different in more than a dozend characters. I beg to give here at once the diagnosis:
Solanum vescum

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, S. fruticosum, inerme, erectum, glabrum, ramulis alatis, foliis elongato-lanceolatis integerrimis vel medium versus longe laciniatis sessilibus, floribus corymbosis, calycibus semiquinquefidis ecarinatis, corollis brevissime quinquelobis coerulescentibus, filamentis filiformibus antheras oblongas luteas aequantibus, baccis magnis subglobosis viridibus. This diagnosis will readily distinguish it from S. laciniatum, which has an eggshaped orange fruit of a disagreable taste.
5
This diagnosis is given as a footnote in the printed version.
On Lake King I found Eurybia viscosa, a Loranthus new to me with nearly orbicular leaves adhering to stem and branches of
Banksia integrifolia

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, (Lor. Banksiae n. sp)
6
Lor. Banksiae n. sp. is a marginal note in the MS, omitted from the printed version.
Loranthus banksiae not found (APNI, accessed 28 November 2019)
Zostera marina

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, a fine malvaceous plant with the aspect of
Malva capensis

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(A genus allied to
Lagunea

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, I think new!)
7
A genus ... new! is a footnote in the MS, with text position indicated by *. It appears as a footnote in the printed version, but without the exclamation mark.
Probably Howittia (H. trilocularis) which M named from collections made 'on bushy declivities around Lake King' (B55.13.07, p. 116). The label on TCD 10648 has a faint pencilled note '
Lagunea

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? trilocularis F.M' that is probably in M's hand.
and in bud only a noble aromatic tree, which appears to be a new species of
Cryptocarya

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.
But here drew my explorations suddenly to a close. Searching during intense heat for good specimens of
Potamogeton praelongus

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in the Tambo River, I exposed myself too long to the cold water of this mountainous stream and the consequence was, that I became for more than 2 weeks stretched on the sick-bed by a rheumatic fever. By Gods providence
8
printed version omits By Gods providence.
I am now recovering; the illness did not, as I was much afraid, assume a nervous
9
printed as serious.
character, but it will be questionable, if I, before the rain sets in, shall have recovered sufficient strenght, to face Mount Baw Baw
10
printed as Bawban.
on my homeway, a mountain, which I ardently desired to ascend. This morning I saw for the first time a fragment of
Potamogeton crispus

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in Lake Wellington.
Wilsonia Backhousii

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occurs here also.
Whilst writing these lines I was agreably surprised to receive, Sir William, your very kind letter dated Oct. 1. 1854 with Mr La Trobes enclosure.
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Letters not found.
My mind is now much relieved in learning, that you at last received the first part of the collections prepared for you, and your benign judgement on it and on its manuscript will be a source to me of gratification and encouragement. I have at present to express my greatest thanks for your attention to my great desire of completing my library; not yet in the possession of the letter, accompaniing the books, I am unable to comply with any arrangements made by you in this behalf, but shall do so instantly after my return, which will take place about the end of this month. But I may say at once, that I am as willing as able to devote 100 £ pr annum on books and that the remisses for anything sent to me will promptly be paid. — If you will do me the great pleasure of publising such part of my manuscripts, as you think free from material errors, in your journal, I should be glad, to purchase 50-100
12
M initially wrote 100-200.
copies of the diagnos[e]s from your publisher for distribution through the colony. In the estimates for 1854 and 1853 has no provision been made for books in aid of the botanical department. I was consequently not in the position of procuring books on the expense of the Government. Had I been a member of the committee for the public library, I would have given an order for all neccessary; so I applied to one of the members, (now nearly two years ago) applying modestly for about 12 works to the amount of about 50 £ including your journal, the flora Antarctica, fl. N. Zeel.
13
J. Hooker (1844-7), J. Hooker (1853-5).
&c. You may imagine how I was chagrined, when ½ year afterwards I percieved that instead of the books desired the works of Linnaeus (with all veneration for the grand master) and several others of just as little use for us here, were ordered for the Melbourne Library. The finances of the colony are at present so diminished, that I would not wish to increase the expenses for my department. The Government however could facilitate my labours greatly by providing me with a proper building. Dr. Harvey can give you an account in what a narrow dark little place I am obliged to do all my work. Dr Harvey went in all likelihood over to V. D. L.;
14
Van Diemen's Land.
I wrote to him two months ago;
15
Letter not found.
but received no answer. I beg to enclose a few lines to Mr LaTrobe
16
Letter not found.
to express my thanks for the interest, which he continues to bestow upon my labours.
With regard to the publication of the Flora of Victoria, I thought to adopt the plan to have it printed here in the Governments printing office in 3 or 4 small volumes, publishing every winter one of them. To render the work popular I intend to employ only the English language. The sacrifice by the Government can assuredly not be great, as many hundred copies of the work here alone will be sold. The material for it will be also in some degree complete after one journey, which in an early season I have yet to undertake to the westward through the Scrub.
Thalamiflorae

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&
Calyciflorae

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I think might come out the first year, and more particularly for any correction or information in this division I should be most thankful. If the Governor consents to it I should be glad to go before the publication for a season to N.S.W. In order to study many of R Br plants on the spots of their discovery.
17
Whilst writing these lines … on the spots of their discovery. is omitted from printed version.
It is farther my intention to employ constantly a collector on my own expense. By my own journeys, purchases and the emission of one or two collectors I hope to have after the publication of the Flora of Victoria so much material to my command, that I can earnestly contemplate the edition of a universal work on Australian plants. For this purpose I flatter myself to have the cooperation of Drs Harvey and Sonder. With your usual liberality you would no doubt permit the former to augment the number [of]
18
editorial addition.
my diagnoses by revision of Cunninghams plants and Drummonds. Dr. Sonder could through the friendship of Fenzl and Klotzsch obtain certainly many additions from the splendid collections of Vienna and Berlin; and I trust also to find means of getting contributions from Paris and from DC.
19
printed as De Candolle's.
collections. Many thousand plants would pass unaltered from published works into the proposed flora, and I think there would be no difficulty of enumerating 10,000 good species. The english language would perhaps also for such [a]
20
editorial addition — obscured by binding.
work [be]
21
editorial addition.
preferable. I should feel obliged for any advice from you in this behalf.
Believe me, Sir William, to be your most obliged and
thankful Servant
Ferd. Mueller