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RBG Kew, Directors' letters, vol. LXXIV, Australia letters 1851-8, letter no. 158. 57.03.06

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Hooker, 1857-03-06. 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/57-03-06>, accessed November 14, 2024

1
For an edited copy of this letter see B57.07.01, pp. 193-9, and B57.08.01, pp. 225-30. Editorial changes to sense, plant and place names and major omissions only have been noted here.
Sydney bot. gardens 6. March 57.
My dear Sir William,
Since the last weeks engaged in putting the botanical specimens into order, which were obtained during the latter part of the North Australian expedition, I have been able to fill a box with about 1000 specimens, comprising nearly 250 species, which will be brought to you by my friend Mr Elsey, the surgeon and naturalist of the expedition. He leaves with in a few days in the "Alnwick-Castle" and I send this letter by the mail, to apprize you of his arrival. I have copied somewhat more than that part of the manuscripts, which relates to the now transmitted plants (
Thalamiflorae

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& part of
Calyciflorae

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). This set of papers will also be delivered by Mr Elsey, and in a month or two an other set of manuscripts and specimens will follow.
2
See M to [Augustus Gregory], 5 March 1857 for a list of the plants to be forwarded to England under the care of Elsey.
I regretted, when I commenced arranging the collection, that the schooner "Messenger" on board of which my principle bot. treasures are, had not arrived, as having the whole of the specimens at once under hand would have simplified so much the work. Since then I have anxiously been expecting the schooners arrival, and from day to day our fears are increasing that some great calamity might have befallen those on board of her. The "Messenger" left Java in the beginning of September in order to meet us at the Gulf of Carpentaria (Albert River) and no tidings of her have reached since that period any place in the South Altho' she is known to be a slow vessel and altho' she had to contend with the N.W. monsoon on her homevoyage, yet we can not banish our fears for her safety and the lives of our friends in her, as moreover the passage through Torres straight is such a dangerous one. Might we soon be relieved of our fears!
In my last letters I have given you a brief account of the results particularly the botanical results of our exploration, explaining at the same time the reasons of my postponing the homejourney, of which I anticipated such delight and advantage. These letters,
3
See M to W. Hooker, 11 January 1857. That letter incorporates, under the date 14 January 1857 about two thirds of the way down the page numbered 4 by M, an explanation of M's decision not to visit England as he had planned. That is followed by a section probably originally conceived as a botanical analysis, intended to be enclosed with a second letter, but to which M has added the pencilled heading, 'Melbourne, Jan 14'. M added the additional numeral '5' to what was originally marked as the first page of the 'second letter', thus continuing the page sequence of the letter begun on 11 January.
both forwarded from Melbourne, no doubt will have arrived in due time. I have also answered your letters of 1855 on those occasions, and am now only receiving my bot. information[s] for a while through your journal
4
W. Hooker (1849-57).
alone. But is it not gratifying, that by the accelerated and shortened steam communication with Europe your antipodes are enabled to peruse your instructive periodicals and writing in less than two months after their appearance? — Through Dr George Bennett,
5
George Bennett, d. 1893.
in whom I have found a very kind man of high scientific accomplishments, I received already a week ago the complete vol. of your journal of last year,
6
Hooker's journal of botany and Kew Garden miscellany, vol. 8.
and can thus now already thankfully acknowledge all your manifestations of favour to me. I am particularly obliged for your good opinion of my services in North Australia, but feel sure your kindness has overrated them by far — most thankfully, I receive[d] also your valuable information upon some of my former plants; and was much pleased with the fine figures of
Duttonia

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and
Adreaea

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.
7
printed version has Andreaea. See footnotes to M to W. Hooker, 22 July 1855. Hooker had reprinted across several issues of his journal the descriptions M published in B54.13.06 because, as 'that work is likely to fall into the hands of few European Botanists, we are anxious to do all in our power to make these discoveries known to them'. The figure of
Duttonia

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gibbifolia was published as plate 1 to illustrate B56.03.01; Andreaea australis was figured as plate XII, accompanying Mitten (1856).
I owe my thanks also to Mr Mitten for reviewing my mosses from the Alps, and venture to hope, that your great mycologist in England will place me under similar obligations, altho' the continuance of such important collections as Mr Spruce's must as a matter of course throw the fungi of my collection into the background, altho I should have been glad to hear at least Mr Berkeleys opinion about that curious plant, which look's more like a piece of an old brush than any thing else. It was only once found on Eucalyptus trees near Adelaide. In Mr Berkeleys department I have as the results of this expedition actually nothing to offer, and the number of mosses and other cryptogamics was equally scarce in North Australia; still Mr Mitten might perhaps be able to find good contributions yet amongst what I collected on the East Coast, and I have not yet made use of my privilege of keeping a specimen of these plants, in order to furnish the best material. From a kind letter
8
Letter not found.
of Prof. Alex Braun I learn, that he continues unceasingly to augment our knowledge of
Chara

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e and allied orders, and altho' the specimens of these brittle plants have suffered much by friction and pressure, still I think half a dozen sp. of
Chara

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are determinable and it would be interesting to learn whether they differ from Indian and extratrop. Australia Species. I am sorry to add that with a heat of more than 120°F at times, to which the collections were exposed and with the want of consideration on the side of the horses with regard to their valuable burden, many of my specimens have suffered frightfully, particularly such brittle kinds as Eucalyptus,
Loranthus

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,
Capparis

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&c, of which I was obliged in many instances to place the remaining fragments into paper capsules now. Let me however, Sir William, state, that you received always the whole of the specimens of every rare kind, nothing of many sp. having been retained at all, or that I satisfied myself with a solitary leaf and flower or fruit in many cases. Indeed since I have been able to derive the requisite information on almost all the plants collected, there is very little desire on my side to augment my private herbarium, the plants being so much more worth at Kew than in Australia. All my wishes are concentrated upon the point, to discharge my duties faithfully and to the satisfaction of the Government. Since I had written the first part of this letter I have placed all the Cryptogamiae into order and have added more
Calyciflorae

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to the lot packed up, so that at least 1200 specimens will be forwarded this time, including also all the duplicates of a collection presented to me by Mr Hill of Brisbane, the exact number of species being 304.
In Mr Bennetts precious library I enjoyed for the first time the view of your magnificent port-feuille of
Victoria Regia

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,
9
Probably W. Hooker (1847).
and of the last volumes of bot. Magazine
10
W. Hooker (1827-64).
Those gorgeous plates of Cathcart and Dr Hooker
11
Cathcart engaged artists to draw the illustrations used in J. Hooker (1855). Cathcart did not draw them himself (see Desmond (1994)).
excited also my admiration, and indeed your son stands unsurpassed as an ardent and successful and productive labourer in the field of bot science.
12
In Mr Bennetts … bot science is omitted from the printed version.
The mail is soon closing, and having just finished copying the descriptions corresponding to the now transmitted plants, I beg to summon up their principle contents. 160 for the greater part unknown plants are in the transmitted pages fully described chiefly from living specimens and the characters of 16 new genera are given. Unless specimens and notes on board of the "Messenger" are lost, this will comprise only ¼ of my writings at least with regard to species.
Menispermeae

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comprise 2 sp. of
Cocculus

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and 1 of
Stephania

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, which with a fourth sp. of Moreton Bay and the Snowy River
Cocculus

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advances the order to 5 sp. in Australia, none being previously described in this country unless by recent labours of Miers to which I have no access.
13
M described
Cocculus

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moorei in B59.09.03, p. 162, from specimens collected at Moreton Bay by C. Moore, W. Hill and himself. M was evidently aware that Meirs was working on the world Menispermaceae and had asked botanists for 'any assistance they can contribute' (Miers (1851), p. 45). The resulting monograph, Miers (1864-71), vol. 3, included M's Burnett River and Brisbane River collections among the specimens listed for
Stephania

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australis, for which Miers also cited M's MS; he tentatively assigned a collection from Fitzroy and Stokes Range to the genus as
Stephania

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? pallidula (vol. 3, pp. 229-30, issued 1871).
—
Nymphaeaceae

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. Seem to be reduced to two species in Australia, common throughout the tropics but little beyond. I stated erroneously to have seen Nymphaea coerulea,
14
M made this identification in M to W. Hooker, 18 June 1856.
for both belong to the section Lotus, one being unquestionably your N. gigantea, altho' I never observed flowers of such a diameter as Mr Bidwill described.
15
W. Hooker (1827-64), vol. 78, t. 4647, records that specimens with a flower over a foot in diameter were sent by Bidwill from the Wide Bay region of north-eastern Australia.
The other I have failed to identify with any Indian species. Had I not seen the manyfold varieties of these two kinds, I might have been induced to pronounce the occurrence of half a dozend sp. here Color of petals is no character here of these plants whatsoever.
Nelumbieae

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. The notes from fresh specimens will I think prove the identity of our with the Pythagorean plant.
16
Presumably Nelumbo speciosa, described in B58.05.01, p. 14
Capparideae

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. Of
Capparis

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four kinds were noticed besides Sir Thomas Mitchells discoveries, one forming a noble tree at Moreton Bay. Cap. lasiantha (the epidendric
Capparis

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of Leichhardt) and C. umbonata extend as far as the Victoria River.
Rutaceae

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. Two species of Boronia in North West Australia are remarkable for having much larger sepals than petals, one with pinnate grey leaves resembles
Artemisia

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s from the distance, which suggests the appellation B. artemisioides. 3 other species were noticed, including B. bipinnata Ldl. Of
Zieria

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a new kind with extremely minute flowers and the habit almost of a
Xanthosia

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occurs on the Glasshouse-Mountains, and I revealed also a singular granulated narrow-leaved sp from Sir Thomas Mitchells collection, not appended to his work.
Cedreleae

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. In the Brigalow Scrubs of East Australia a new genus of this order forms a constant companion of
Eremophila Mitchelli

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. The capsule altho' not seen in perfect maturity seems to remain coriaceous; the placental laminas are two-seeded on each side, and the seeds all around winged, thus tending to disrupt the limits between
Flindersia

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and
Oxleya

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, and I should notwithstanding the want of woody structure of the capsule have united the three genera, were the flowers of
Oxleya

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known, and did not this new genus, now celebrating the fame of a third Australian explorer, Count Strzelecky,
17
Paul Strzelecki. Strzeleckya (S. dissosperma) (B57.10.02, p. 308).
distinguish itself habitually by opposite small leaves and a foliaceous rachis of the leaflets.
Aurantiaceae

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, a very small order in Australia, becomes augmented by a well marked
Glycosmis

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18
Presumably
Glycosmis

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subvelutina (B58.06.01 p. 25).
from from the Burdekin.
19
printed version has Burdikin.
Hippocrateae

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, seemed to be unknown from this part of the globe. A species of Hippocratea allied to H. obtusifolia with bearded flowers occurs on the banks of the Brisbane.
20
Presumably Hippocratea barbarta (B59.13.01, p. 23).
In
Polygaleae

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a new sp. of Comesperma with spreading leaves (C. patentifolium) was noticed in E. Australia be sides C. silvestre Ldl. & C. limarifolium A. Cunn. Polygala occurs in four sp. in the North.
21
Bentham described Polygala stenoclada, P. eriocephala and P. rhinanthoides from specimens collected by M on the Victoria River, and three subspecies of P. arvensis, two of them from M collections at Victoria River, in Bentham (1863-78), vol. 1, pp. 139-41.
Salomonia

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, noticed by R. Br., was not observed during Mr. Gregorys expedition.
Erythroxyleae

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have a solitary but very common representant in E Australia, no doubt the plant mentioned by Prof. Lindley in his valuable "Vegetable Kingdom"
22
Presumably Erythroxylon australe from the Brigalow scrubs (B59.13.01, p. 22). Lindley (1847).
Of
Pittosporeae

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I obtained two new genera in E. Australia
23
Presumably including Ixiosporum (I. spinescens) (B60.08.01, p. 76).
besides a new
Pittosporum

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from Arnheim's land,
24
Arnhem Land. Presumably P. melanospermum (B59.02.03, p. 70).
besides some additions to the latter genus from Central Australia contained in the not yet arrived division of the collection.
Amongst
Olacineae

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we met the strange [face] of a Ximenia, allied to the New Caledonian X. elliptica.
25
Presumably X. exarmarta (B59.13.01, p. 22).
Ampelideae

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comprise only the genus Cissus, but this in seven well marked sp.,
26
Presumably including C. acetosa and C. opaca (B59.13.01, pp. 24-3).
whereas I find only Cissus
Baudiniana

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Brouss. (very improperly called C. antarctica by Vent.) enumerated amongst Australian plants by previous writers. A not climbing herbaceous sp. from the Victoria River (C. acida) proved useful as an antiscorbutic vegetable.
Sapindaceae

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exhibit some of the finest trees in E. Australia That Section of
Nephelium

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separated by Prof. Blume as
Arytera

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contains 4 very distinct spec.
27
Presumably including
Arytera

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divaricata, A. foveolata and A. semiglauca (B59.13.01, pp. 24-5).
Atalaya

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seems also to occur.
Heterodendron

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very properly referred to this order by Dr Planchon, differs scarcely from
Arytera

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except in simple leaves and apetalous flowers if not in structure of the embryo (the fruit not being found in sufficient maturity for examination); a species with toothed leaves (
Heterodendron diversifolium

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) has been added from the Brigalow Scrubs of E. Australia. —
Distichostemon

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&
Apophyllum

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form remarkable genera of this group, both producing indefinite stamens; the former allied to Dodonaea with foliaceous wings to the capsule, the latter a quickly defoliated bushy tree resembling a
Hakea

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with polygamous flowers, a often two-seeded indehisant fruit with circinnate embryo.
Dodonaea filifolia

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(of which however no authentic specimens have been seen) I reduced to D. acerosa Ldl. and D. mollis and triangularis have been united as D. Lindleyana. D. physocarpa is remarkable for inflated generally 6-winged seedvessels and D. polyzyga
28
printed version has polyzaga.
singular for numerous pairs of leaflets. The latter surpasses even your D. vestita which we never found, in beauty, but both as well as several other kinds from N. W. Australia are wanting in this part of the collection. Dod. platyptera differs from D. Preissiana in very broad upwards truncated wings and D. Oxyptera, like D. Physocarpa a pinnate leaved sp., is distinct from the rest in acute wings.
The
Meliaceae

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I may perhaps consider as the most interesting part of my collection, since the order seemed formerly to be so scantily developed in Australia, and since it introduces some entirely new features into the family. For remarkable appeared to me a genus of the trichileous section with drupaceous fruit, to which I have no doubt the Fusanus with pinnate leaves spoken of by the unfortunate Leichhardt must be referred.
29
Leichhardt (1847), p. 24.
Four sp. are described in the now transmitted pages,
30
Presumably Owenia (O. acidula, O. cerasifera, O. reticulata and O. venosa) (B57.10.02, pp. 304-5).
a fifth (sp.vernicosa) is common on the Sandstone table land of the Victoria River, and I think a sixth sp. occurs in Central Australia in the desert scrub. This
31
Pages 13-16 of the MS are bound upside down, with p. 16 following from this point.
genus after having been confirmed by you I ardently wished, as one of the finest resulted from this expedition, to dedicate to Prof. Owen, faint as this token may be of my veneration for the illustrious zoologist. In an other genus with long unilaterally slit columna allied to
Quirisia

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32
Quivisia? — printed version follows MS.
and
Turraea

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I wished to acknowledge the contribution of many botanical specimens to the collection by our amiable travelling-companion Mr J. R. Elsey, the surgeon and zoologist of the expedition.
33
M named Ripogonum elseyana (B58.06.01, p. 44).
— Notable in this order is also a very marked Hartighsea, next to H. excelsa, obtained in a conjoined trip with Mr Hill to the upper parts of the Brisbane River, whose name I wished it to bear
34
APNI lists no species of Hartighsea published by M (accessed 18 July 2019).
and a second
Azadirachta

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, unfortunately only seen in fruit, which however so far exactly agrees in generic characters with the Indian prototype.
Melia Azedarach

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, or if you like M. Australis Sweet (M. Australasica Juss) is scattered through out the tropics. —
Reviewing
Sterculiaceae

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I find that
Sterculia quadrifida

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R. Br. occurs in Arnheim's Land and eastern subtrop. Australia, that
Brachychiton diversifolium

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is restricted to North & North West Australia where B. populneum not occurs, that B. platanoides R. Br. ranges from E. subtropical Australia to the Gulf of Carpentaria, whilst B. ramiflorum R. Br. is common through the tropical zone.
Sterculia foetida

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enumerated by R. Br. in his excellent paper in Horsf. & Benn pl. rar jav.
35
Horsfield, Bennett & Brown (1838-52), p. 227.
as inhabiting N. Austr. has not been seen by us, nor
Brachychiton incanum

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found on the N. shore, unless a plant, which I ventured to describe as B. discolor upon rather insufficient material, a forest tree of the Richmond and Clarence Rivers (N. S. Wales), should prove identical with it, which can not be decided with out consulting Cunningham's herbarium. I send you also a diagnosis of the Flametree of Illawarra (
Brachychiton acerifolium

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Sterculia acerifolia

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A.C. in Loud hort. Brit. p. 392)
36
Loudon (1830).
of B. luridus C.Moore and B. pubescens C. Moore, all three not contained in R. Br. monograph. If the direction of the radicula is at all of any value in the distinction of Sterculiaceous genera than I can not agree with the illustrious Brown in referring
Delabechea

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to Brachychiton (conf. app. to Sturts Central Austr II p. 66)
37
R. Brown (1849), p. 66.
but leave it intact according to Prof. Lindley between Brachychiton and Sterculia. This tree I may mention varies with digitate leaves, which indeed seem to be the typical ones and simple leaves; nor does it but in very rare instances assume that degree of turgidity of its stem, which the woodcut in Mitchell's trop. Austr
38
Mitchell (1848), p. 154.
represents.
Brachychiton populneum

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may occasionally when growing out of the fissures of granite rocks be seen assuming the same extraordinar form. — Yet
Delabechea

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is always perceptibly contracted at the bottom and summit of its stem, more so than other Sterculiae with which I am acquainted.
I can not conclude this review of Australian
Sterculiaceae

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without alluding to a species of Brachychiton (if not
Delabechea

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) originally discovered by Mr A. C. Gregory in his exploration of the Northern parts of West Australia. He found the tree as early as 1848 on the Murchison River when discovering the Yaraldine Lead Mine. It attracted his attention as being the only deciduous tree of West Australia, and fruit specimens were at the time communicated to Mr Drummond. According to Mr Gregory's information, whose name ought in justice to be attached to this species,
39
IPNI cites the published version of this letter (B57.07.01) as the earliest description of Brachychiton gregorii; APNI uses B62.03.03, p. 157 (both accessed 19 July 2019). T. Muir (1979), p. 164, gives B64.11.01, p. 137.
it forms a tree 10-20' high with slightly rough bark, palmate thin beyond the middle five-cleft leaves, which are shining above, glabrous and about 4" long, lobes acute; leafstalk about 2" long Flowers small greenish yellow in bunches Follicles sometimes as many as 30 or 40 conjoined 2" long outside smooth twice as long as their stalk, thinly coreaceous like in
Delabechea

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. Seeds 12-15 smaller than in Mitchells Bottle-tree imbedded in the follicle and scarcely hairy. The stem is cylindrical; the branches are narled and form a hemispherical head. — It is the only Western Australian Sterculeaceous tree.
40
According to … Sterculeaceous tree is a footnote in the printed version (with altered punctuation).
Buettneriaceae

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of the latter part of the expedition contain only a new pink flowering genus allied to
Waltheria

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characterized principally by monoecious flowers and a fruit consisting of two carpells (hence
Dicarpidium monoicum

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) it is rare enough on the Sandstone table-land of the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The beautiful genus Cochlospermum becomes increased by a tree of much greater dimension than
Cochlospermum heteronemum

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(C. Frazeri?) of the Victoria River, producing digitate leaves. It is very distinct from Cochlosp. Gossyp. according to the figure in your Miscellany.
41
Possibly C. gregorii (B59.02.03, p. 71). C. gossypium was described in Wight (1831), pp. 357-8, and illustrated in supplementary plate 18.
The greater part of the Hibisci of this expedition belongs to the section
Ketmia

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, to which I am obliged to refer also the Australian
Fugosia

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noted in Sir Th. Mitchells last work p. 387;
42
Mitchell (1848), p. 387.
altho' we may possess the genus perhaps in
Hibiscus Huegelii

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Endl from W. Austr.
Hibiscus trionum

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is very common on basaltic plains in the interior. The 8 sp. of this collection
43
Presumably including H. magnificus (B61.02.02, p. 118), H. pentaphyllus (B60.02.02, p. 13), H. setulosus and H. zonatus (B59.12.02, p. 221).
are all carefully described from a suite of living specimens, form and color of petals, the columna, the disposition of the filaments etc affording as many beautiful characters for the distinction of the numerous sp. of this genus, but all these marks are generally lost in drying the plants. One may be transferred, when fruit will be obtained to Abelmoschus,
44
Possibly A. rhodopetalus (B61.02.02, p. 113).
altho' very distinct from Ab. albo-ruber, which extends as far as Peak Range. But
Hibiscus splendens

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belonging to the section
Ketmia

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can never be removed from the genus, as done by various writers. I send the description of 8
Sida

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e
45
Presumably including
Sida

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leucopetala and S. oxycarpa (B60.02.02, pp. 11-12); S. diplotricha (B59.04.03, p. 4).
and
Abutilon

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s,
46
Presumably
Abutilon

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behrianum, B54.13.06, p. 13 and B56.10.02, p. 10.
and have to add to the number of these and of
Hibiscus

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as soon as I receive my other notes. The rest of of
Thalamiflorae

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shows little of interest, perhaps
Byblis coerulea

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47
caerulea?
excepted. —
Myrtaceae

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form, I think, the most important part of my herbarium. After watching the Eucalypti of tropical Australia day after day for nearly 16 months I can confidently hope that in my interpretation of the species I have not much aberred from the truth and that the two new systems of these trees which I beg to recommend to your farther consideration are based upon sound principles. You will observe that I have of 34 species given the characteristic of the bark and of the greater part a full (of all some)
48
of all some interlined; parentheses added here for clarity. Printed version omits interlined phrase.
diagnosis; in several cases additional information will be gained from my other notes, and the species will from the unarrived collection be increased to about 40. Of these are only two fruticose and a considerable number produces opposite leaves. In the colonies of Victoria & South Australia in the contrary scarcely a single one belongs to opposite leaved sp. whilst numerous kinds are not growing beyond the size of shrubs. — For the use of the colonists the bark will always afford the best mark of distinction — trees at times may be distinguished of various kind, so far as it is necessary for a traveller or the practical use of the settler in telescopical distances. Nor can the monographer of these plants dispense with the knowledge of those characters, which I pointed out in my cortical system, and as proof of this I may state, that I should from herbarium spricks alone unhesitatingly pronounce the silver leaved Ironbark, the silver leaved Box Tree and one of the Bathurst Stringybark Trees as identical! or rather as insignificant varieties of the same species; and yet nothing can be more striking than the difference in texture and structure of the bark of these three species, characters which of course do not admit of vacillations. This is however not the place to enter upon my investigations of these interesting trees, on which I hope to throw more light in a separate memoir.
49
See B58.11.01 for M's descriptive monograph and the 'arrangement for the use of colonists according to the structure of the bark'.
But you will observe that the 5 sections
Leiophloiae

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,
Hemiphloiae

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,
Rhytiphloiae

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,
Pachyphloiae

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,
Schizophloiae

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50
The spelling for the sections of Eucalyptus used in this letter is the same as that used in B58.11.01, p. 99.
exhibit trees, which as Flooded Gum trees, as Ironbark trees, Stringybark-trees &c belong to so many respective sections, and that the trees as such are familiar to the colonists. Thus for instance at least 6 Stringybark trees exist very distinct as species, which however always will pass under this collective name by the settlers. The sixth section, "
Lepidophloiae

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" is quite a botanical novelty. It includes those Eucalypti which technically I would call Mica trees, remarkable for a lamellar brittle bark much resembling mica schist! The
Melaleuca

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Gum tree of Leichhardt and Euc. Melissiodora of Ldl. belong to this group.
51
The sixth … this group is a marginal annotation with its position in the text indicated by an 'F'.
The appliance of a cortical system for the determination of herbarium species being generally impracticable, I have added a clavis, in which I employed for the above mentioned sp., after having them divided into sections somewhat similar to those of former botanists, an arrangement according to the insertion of the valves of the capsule, a character which I found by far more constant than the relative lenght of operculum & Tube of the calyx. Of the 34 sp. of this collection I have only identified 5 as known with certainty, and only one (E. rostrata) or perhaps 2 more, as inhabitants of South Australia and Victoria Should you, Sir William, attach the same importance to this part of my labours, with which I unproperly perhaps regarded it, I should be very glad indeed to see those species soon appear before the bot. public, which a comparison with your collections will confirm. R. Br. kindfully permitted me to transmit for the Linn. Soc. transactions, and perhaps this contribution would not be quite unworthy of the annals of such a distinguished body of Naturalists.
52
B58.11.01: which a comparison ... of Naturalists is omitted in printed version.
The rest of
Myrtaceae

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, containing diagnoses of 3 n. genera
53
Presumably
Homalocalyx

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(H. ericaeus) (B57.10.02, p. 309),
Lysicarpus

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(L. ternifolius) (B57.09.04, p. 68) and Xanthostemon (X. paradoxus) (B57.01.01, p. 18).
& 24 species
54
APNI lists more than 24 species of
Myrtaceae

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(excluding Eucalyptus spp.) published by M in the period immediately after his return from the expedition (accessed 19 July 2019).
is neither devoid of interest. 4
Calycothrix

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sp. (In the collection already packed at the time of writing these pages I employed two specific names identical with Meisner's of W. Australia lately introduced; in the msc. I have altered these) one of these arborescent, an other passing nearly into
Lhotzkya

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.
Homalocalyx

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is a new genus intermediate between
Tryptomene

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&
Paryphanta

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established upon a very local plant. Of the former (
Tryptomene

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) a pentandrous sp. was observed in E. Trop. Austr.
55
Probably
Tryptomene

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oligandra (B58.03.01, p. 11).
Of Harmogia I have 2 additional;
56
Presumably H. cirspiflora (B60.05.01, p. 31) and H. umbellata (B60.05.01, p. 31).
— and it is singular that I should have fallen into the same error with H. virgata, after I had years ago in transmitted msc. referred the
Camphoromyrtus Behrii

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Schl.
57
printed version has 'Camphoromyrtus Behrii Sehl'.
to
Harmogia affinis

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Schauer. However the two genera do not differ but slightly in their structure of anthers.
Astartea

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1 sp.
58
Presumably A. intratropica B59.02.03, p. 83.
characterized by the absence of a true pedicel. Callistemon requires a new disquisition.
59
printed version replaces disquisition with new study.
My
Callistemon arborescens

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mentioned in 1852 in the Linnaea is C. brachyandrus Ldl a plant at the time unknown to me. Amongst Mitchells plants I notice a gorgeous sp. which seems to be very distinct by nearly persistent bracts. It is the robustest of all and I send notes on it and two others.
60
Presumably C. coccineus, C. glaucus and C. paludosus (B58.03.01, pp. 13-14).
Melaleuca

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contains this time only two new kinds, both referrable to
Asteromyrtus

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, if this genus should be kept.
61
M described no
Asteromyrtus

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. M described four
Melaleuca

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s from the North Australian Exploring Expedition; M. acacioides (B62.10.02, p. 116), M. bracteata (B58.03.01, p. 15), M. minutifolia and M. symphyocarpa (B59.13.02, pp. 44-5).
To
Trystania

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62
Tristania?
I reduce again
Lophostemon

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and
Syncarpia

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. The
Angophora

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e are as well marked in decortication as in structure and texture of bark as Eucalypti, and I have thus been compelled to increase the sp. to 6.
63
Presumably including
Angophora

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subvelutina (B58.06.01, p. 31).
Eugenia

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received three additions at least to Australian sp., one being a charming tree with rich umbells.
64
APNI lists no new
Eugenia

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s described by M from these collections (accessed 19 July 2019).
An other fine timber tree,
Lysicarpus

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, is already from
Metrosideros

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and
Pericalymma

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generically distinct in dimorphous anthers. Those of the outer series being sterile and the largest; the cells of the capsule seem always 1 seeded with a wing round the seed. The leaves are ternate and linear. An other new genus
Lithomyrtus

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msc.) differs from
Psidium

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in a dry berry and a circinnate embryo. A undescribed
Disemma

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differs from the rest in 5-not 10-cleft calyx and in the extremely short corona. It is a rare climber of the Burdekin-banks.
65
Presumably D. brachystephanea (B58.07.01, p. 56).
Amongst
Cucurbitaceae

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, which I fortunately have been able to examine in a recent state I established a new genus,
Cucurbitella

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, seemingly next to
Sicydium

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,
66
No publication of
Cucurbitella

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by M has been found.
added a
Luffa

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, from which the Victoria River species differs in forming 5 sacculate protrusions at the base of the calyx and in prickly-tuberculed fruits, — 2
Trichosanthus

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sp., none of that disagreable odour which markes the otherwise splendid sp. from N. W. Australia, and
Bryonia laciniosa

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? or a[n]
67
editorial addition.
allied sp., but not B. affinis Endl, from Norfolk Island — so that we are now acquainted with 12 sp. of this order from Australia. None are found in West Australia.
Rosaceae

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do not exist beyond the Tropic of Capricorn in Australia. But on the East coast I have obtained through Mr Moore
68
Charles Moore.
a Rubus dioecious like R. Australis, from which it differs principly in ovate bracts and stamens shorter than the calyx; and a second unknown kind discovered by Mr Hill closely allied to R. Lambertianus.
69
Presumably R. hillii and R. moorei (B57.09.04, p. 67).
— Of Bauera nothing exists in the North, but I reexamined such materials as the public collection of Sydney afforded me and feel inclined to retain B. microphylla Sieb & B. capitata Ser. as distinct from B rubioides. I believe also that B. Billardierii must be confirmed as a sp. but had not a single specimen at hand for comparison, the sp. being seemingly restricted to Tasmania and Victoria. But altho' the distinctions drawn between these four sp. (in this instance principly upon the form of the anthers) admit of doubt, still there can be only one opinion on the stability of the characters of B sessiliflora as pointed out in the Vict. phil. transact.
70
See B54.13.06, p. 41.
Indeed it is with scruples that I retain this plant in the genus at all, since the ovary is totally enclosed in the tube of the calyx one-celled biovulate with pendulous ovules one only fertilized and I have little doubt that the caspule which I have not seen ripe, will dehisc only unilaterally, since there is only on one side a sutura in the ovary. Thus
Bauera sessiliflora

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brings its genus into close contact with
Ceratopetalum

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.
Bauera sessiliflora

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is the most western sp of the genus (not a single Cunoniaceous plant existing to my knowledge in South Australia and except
Eremosyne

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in West Australia) is farther limited to one single system of mountains and no doubt hardy in England as it grows on the subalpine summit of Mount William in great luxuriance, and I have been always proud of this new commemoration of the memory of the two Bauers,
71
Ferdinand Lucas Bauer and his brother Franz Andreas Bauer.
so that I hope, Sir William, you will oblige me in giving publicity to that portion of my msc. (send this time) in order to restore it to its honor again.
The fine
Carallia

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tree
72
Possibly C. octopetala which Bentham (1859), p. 74, listed as a synonym of C. integerrima DC.
seems to be well marked from Indian sp. and is the only new contribution to
Rhizophoreae

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gained by this expedition, being also seemingly very rare. That
Ceriops Bruguiera

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&
Rhizophora

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occur I have mentioned previously.
73
See M to W. Hooker, 3 September 1855.
On
Compositae

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I commenced only to work but transmit now a paper on two new genera allied to
Pluchea

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.
74
Presumably Coleocoma (C. centaurea) and Diodontium (D. filifolium) ( B57.01.01, pp. 19-20).
Umbelliferae

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become gradually a stout order in this part of the world, particularly if we adnumerate Dr Hookers interesting contributions from Tasmania. The North Australian expedition has yielded the remarkable genus Hemicarpus with 3 sp, the teeths of the obliterated mericarp of H. glandulosus being much shorter than in the two other sp. which requires a slight modification of my first outline of the genus, altho otherwise not infringed but rather confirmed by the third sp.
75
H. didiscoides, H. villosus (B57.01.01, p. 18).The third species from this expedition is described as Didiscus glandulosus (B60.13.02, p. 238) in the section Hemicarpus of Didiscus into which M transferred his genus Hemicarpus .
Didiscus takes its place at Moreton Bay, where a sixt[h] sp. (D. procumbens) occurs. But an other new genus has been obtained, of which you find a description as
Platycarpidium

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. It is a tall bush often 12' high, with polygamous flowers nearest related to
Platysace

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. Only one of the 6 trop. or subtrop. sp. of
Hydrocotyle

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seems unknown. The gigantic herb of this order seen by Cunningham we have not met with.
If you can find, Sir William, an empty corner in your journal for the magnificent new Panax from Moreton Bay, which on account of not umbellate inflorescence is very singular, I think this plant will well deserve the place. I call it P. polybotryus and it flowerishes
76
printed version has flourishes for flowerishes.
in the greatest profusion in the Sydney Garden. I saw it myself in the wilderness, but not the Panax? allied to P arborescens & P. Colensoi found by Mr Moore at Wide Bay. Could the latter be Leichhardts
Sciadophyllum

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?
Of
Leguminosae

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I send this time only the two descriptions which establish the new genera
Brewsteria

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77
Brewsteria

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was published in the printed version of this letter (B57.08.01, p. 229), but without a validating binomial.
and
Plagiotropis

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. The former is distinct from
Cassia

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in producing in the middle of the lower stamens a large globular nodus and in lower anthers not only opening half lenghtwise but also with a large basal foramen. This is one of the most charming trees I ever beheld and well worth to bear the name of the great and venerable natural philospher, Sir David Brewster, who as calling forth the now so flowerishing British association for advancement of science has such a high and yet unacknowledged claim upon botanical science, and I feel proud that it has fallen to my share to add a flower to the crown of the merits of this great and noble Maecen.
78
printed version omits who as calling … Maecen.
Plagiotropis

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receds principly from
Vigna

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in the paradox structure of its carina, which is repressed laterally, that side which thus becomes the front of it protruding into a long hollow cone! Specimens will come in the next sending, but I add to this parcel a specimen of
Brewsteria

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for kind inspection of yourself Dr Hooker or Mr Bentham.
79
The remainder of the letter, one folio numbered '25' by M and annotated by W. Hooker 'Not to be published', is bound between letter numbers 160 and 161.
In the last meeting of the Melb. philos. Institute a paper has been read on the genus Octoclinis (O. Macleayana) established upon a noble pine tree from Macquarie Harbour N.S.W. discovered by Mr W. Macleay.
80
William Sharp Macleay.
It is the only plant of the order except some
Ephedra

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s, which I believe produced quaternate leaves and differs besides from
Frenela

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principly in an [achamerous] fruit. If you find the latin description which is yet an original, acceptable, I am happy to add it.
The box with specimens is gone on board to day. I shall label to morrow the few seeds, add as much as I can to these descriptions and forward all with the three charts of our routes through Mr Elsey.
In conclusion I beg yet to repeat that
Orites lancifolia

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, through thousand of bushes of which I travelled for days never assumes divided leaves in the Australian Highland. How I have to distinguish
Tripetalea

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81
Tripetelae?
from Sambucus I am quite perplexed; DC
82
A. P. de Candolle (1830a), p. 322.
considers the herbaceous species S. Gaudichaudiana which also generally produces 3 petalous flowers as a true Sambucus and both have as succulent berries as the rest. I have to thank you for shifting
83
you for shifting is replaced by Mr Bentham for pointing out that.
Daviesia egena

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in my behalf so generously to
Bossiaea

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.
84
See B56.02.02, p. 43.
The plant has become yet more interesting to me since I saw it with
Cyclotheca

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on Sturts Creek in Central Australia. I did not regard the cohaerance of its stamens as objectionable to its place in Daviesia since Prof. Meisner pointed two similar instances out on West Austr. sp. I think I have to transfer my
Galium geminifolium

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of phil. transact. to
Asperula

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, hav[ing] seen it lately beautifully in flower.
85
See
Asperula

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geminifolia (B66.02.02, p. 147).
Velleya pandurifolia

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I presume described in de Vriese's new work.
86
Vriese (1854) describes species of Velleia on pp. 171-7; Bentham cites some of these names as synonyms in his treatment, but does not discuss a Vriese name under V. panduriformis, which he described from an Allan Cunningham specimen; see Bentham (1863-78), vol. 4, p. 46.
You omitted the new sectional character (
Aceratia

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) in your reprint.
87
W. Hooker reprinted species from B54.13.06, but in B56.05.01, p. 162 omitted reference to the section name created by M in the original publication, p. 17.
Cyphanthera

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I find nowhere mentioned in my books. Of
Myosurus

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exist two very distinct varieties, perhaps I forwarded only one form.
I am very anxious to learn what the excellent Prof. Harvey thinks of my phycological collection from the corall reafs of Albany Island The
Caulerpa

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s and mesogloia seem to me interesting.
88
The description of
Caulerpa

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taxifolia in Harvey (1858-63), vol. 3, pl. 178 includes reference to specimens collected by M at Albany Island. The volume is dedicated 'with every feeling of respect and esteem' to M, 'by whose untiring zeal and energy, whether in the capacity of a private citizen, of an explorer of new regions, or of a Government Officer, our knowledge of Australian botany, in all its branches, has been largely extended'.
I hope, my dear Sir William, you will pardon this hasty scribbling, it is finished at four at night.
Remember me, please, to Dr Hooker, Dr Harvey and Mr Bentham and let me soon learn that you are well.
Yours ever obliged and
devoted
Ferd. Mueller
Sir W. Hooker, K.H. &c &c &c
Is
Mniarum singlifolium

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not be found in Tasmania?
89
Is Mniarum … in Tasmania is a marginal note on the final folio of the MS.
R. Br. wishes that such plants which were intended for the Linn. transact should not be published elsewhere. This will of course on my side be complied with
90
R. Br. wishes … complied with is a marginal note on the eleventh folio of the MS where the
Rosaceae

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are discussed.