The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Bot. gardens, Melbourne, 26 April 55 ¶ Sir William ¶ ¶ Being disappointed in getting all my alpine collections together by this ¶ time, I have been unable making up such a collection by the "Red Jac...

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RBG Kew, Directors' letters, vol. LXXIV, Australia letters 1851-8, letter no.150. 55.04.26

Plant names

Azolla rubra
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Bombaceae
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Boronia algida
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Caltha Novae Zeelandiae
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Dichopetalum ranunculaceum
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Diplaspis Hydrocotyle
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Drapetes Tasmanica
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Drosera Arcturi
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Euphrasia alsa
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Greevesia cleisocalyx
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Herpetolirion Tasmaniae
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Howittia trilocularis
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Lagunaea
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Laurineae
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Lespedezia juncea
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Malvaceae
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Orites Milligani
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Orites lancifolia
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Paederota densifolia
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Pavonia
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Phebalium ovatifolium
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Plagianthus sidoides
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Pleuropappus
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Proteaceae
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Psoraleopsis
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Ranunculus Millani
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Ranunculus anemoneus
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Sesbania Australis
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Sesbania aculeata
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Sesbania picta
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Sterculiaceae
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Verticordia
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Hooker, 1855-04-26. 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/55-04-26>, accessed November 15, 2024

For an edited extract of this letter see B55.12.03, pp. 360-2. The changes in the printed version noted here are those that alter sense, or the spelling of plant and place names.

Bot. gardens, Melbourne, 26 April 55

Sir William

Being disappointed in getting all my alpine collections together by this

MS marginal annotation by unknown: '3 & 3 let vol 7'. This presumably refers to letters published in B55.08.01 and B55.12.03.

time, I have been unable making up such a collection by the "Red Jacket" as would have been worth sending to you. As this however is one of the regular Clippers I will not loose time to forward to you a few lines. — Prof. Harvey, this excellent and learned man, will leave our shores in a day or two for Sydney, proceeding probably to Moreton Bay.

Qld.

You may imagine how pleasant hours I spent with him. He supplied the Governments collection and my own herbarium with a beautiful set of algae and had the kindness of arranging my own, so that I have now ample material for working now and then a little in such an interesting order of plants.

Harvey gave M a set of duplicates (where available) from his Victorian 'Travelling Set' collections. See 'Algae Australes ex indice Harvey' [Southern Algae from Harvey's list], a copy by M of part of Harvey's MS 'Systematic list of Australian Algae 1854 —' (Herbarium, Trinity College, Dublin), in which Harvey listed his 'Travelling Set' specimens, arranged in systematic order (Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, C41.2, transcribed in the 'manuscripts' section of this website).

We made also some selections of duplicates from my phanerogamae for the Dublin collection.

In a letter,

M to W. Hooker, 5 April 1855 fits the date, but only partially the context.

which I despatched about a fourthnight ago I gave some additional information on the flora of the Alps, having subjected several of my plants to an analysis, vize ,

printed version has 'Novae-Zelandiae'.

, ,

printed version has 'ovalifolium'.

, , , , , , ?

Herpolirion tasmaniae? The printed version follows the MS.

, a new genus of Umbelliferae distinct from all in having 10 petals, or rather 5 petaloid sepals = Dichopetalum ranunculaceum,

M erected Dichopetalum (D. ranunculaceum) in B55.09.03, p. 101.

. There are besides a few other beautiful species, but I have not yet examined them.

I enclose the diagnosis of the two only proteaceae, that have been discovered during this journey, as, if they become a place through your kindness in the miscellany, they would be yet in time for the additamenta of DC prodr. vol. XIV.

It is not clear to which two species M is referring, although one is evidently a species of Orites. That species is mentioned in the main text of Meisner (1856), pp. 423-4, where it is treated as a possible variety of Orites excelsa, citing B55.13.12, p. 25. Meisner, p. 353, gives Grevillea victoriae from the same source and page, also quoting B53.10.01, p. 17 where it is named without description. However, in the main text Meisner also cites other Grevillea species from B55.13.12, as well as some cited as 'Ferd. Müll.! mss. in herb', so it is not clear which species other than the Orites is meant. M's species described fully in Meisner's 'Addenda et corrigenda' to the Proteacea (pp.698-700, published November 1857 [TL2]) are from collections made during the early part of the North Australian Exploring Expedition, and described in B57.10.01.

Both are very distinct species, unless O. lancifolia should be identical with , of which I have only seen the names in Meisners enumeration of Drummonds proteaceae in your journal.

Meisner (1852).

Our botanic garden offered also two new plants this year; one ( )

Marginal annotation by unknown: '( )'.

was raised from seeds collected by Mr Bunce in the second expedition of the unfortunate Dr Leichhardt; it is a most extraordinary genus of , it differs from and the thousand other know species of the order in a closed calyx ! which bursts only when the fruit becomes perfectly ripe. The little corolla never expands and sees consequently no daylight until long after fecundation! The other is a herbaceous Sesbania allied to S. picta, which as the species mentioned by Sir Thomas Mitchell remained undescribed I will call ; Mitchells plant however must be distinct, for mine is not allied to S. aculeata.

M described Sesbania australis in B55.13.05, p 36. Mitchell (1848) p. 106.

I have been also fortunate enough to discover a third new genus of on Lake King. I was first reluctant in removing it from ,

printed as 'Lagunea'.

but the undivided style with a trilobed club-shaped stigma, the 3 locular capsule which incloses a slight quantity of free short hair, the habit of the plant[,] and what may seem extraordinar the suppression of stipuls induced me to seperate it as Lindley unites & , still the former have one-celled anthers, as far as I see in your . He gives as a general character 2-celled anthers; is that correct?

I have bought a set of Mr Wilhelmi's

printed version has Wilhelm's.

plant, collected this year in the Port Lincoln district. It contains but little news.

printed version has novelty for news.

The descriptions of the new sp. I have worked out and transmit them to you. They may be published separate as they comprise south Australian plants. The new genus

M erected (P. phyyocalymmeus) in B55.13.05, p. 37.

is most singular and the occurence of so far east is also interesting. I shall send the set to you by the next mail vessel, together with some alpine plants. — I hope to be this year more fortunate with my new genera than last. I observed by a careful examination that is identical with

Lespedeza ?

Pers.

I also beg to inclose a list a plants which I am desirous to introduce into the colony. Could your rich establishment supply some of them, I would be delighted.

None of the unassociated plant lists in M's hand at RBG Kew unambiguously fits the context of this letter.

An additional genus of occurs also in my new collection for the Flora of Australia. Its calyx is 4-parted, but the plant was unfortunately so little developed, that it will be difficult to determine it. It is a noble tree about 40' high.

By the next opportunity I intend to send through a friend, who is going home in a living state and also all the Fungi, which I possess, for Dr Harvey tells me that Mr Berkeley probably will easily determine and describe them.

My next report may possibly give the names of 400 additional species for the flora of this colony, more than 200 being algae either from Dr Harveys or my own collections. Some of Dr Harveys novelties are magnificent.

printed version ends here. Harvey's algae are included in the list in B55.11.01. See also 'Algae Australes ex indice Harvey’ list, in the 'manuscripts' published on this website.

I am up to this time not yet actually reestablished in my office, altho[']

editorial addition — obscured by binding.

a sum has been voted again for my department, but I expect daily a communication in this behalf.

M had sought clarification of his position, M to W. Haines, 10 April 1855.

Under the present financial pressure of the Government I believe it will be difficult to obtain subsidia from our Government for printing manuscripts at home.

See W. Hooker to J. Foster, 2 November 1854 (in this edition as M54-11-02).

If a

An 'X' is pencilled here on the MS with a marginal annotation: 'X List sent X Given to Smith'.

few of the most remarka[ble]

editorial addition — obscured by binding.

things could be published in the periodicals, it would be extremely gratifing

Excuse, Sir William, the haste of this writing,

and believe me to be your most devoted servant

Ferd Mueller.