Document information

Physical location:

RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1858-70, un-numbered letter inserted before f. 44. 58.01.15

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Joseph Hooker, 1858-01-15. 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/58-01-15>, accessed November 15, 2024

Melbourne bot garden
15 Jan 1858.
My dear Dr Hooker
I feel proud, that the botanical collections formed in tropical Australia and the notes, which accompanied them, met with the hardly expected satisfaction from your and your venerable fathers side. This is a great relieve to my mind, for the unfortunate loss of many of the best specimens and about 50 species althogether, with hundreds of papers of seeds has greatly reduced the value of my collection.
1
See M to W. Hooker, 6 April 1857 (in this edition as 57-04-06a) and A. Gregory to M, 8 April 1857 for details of the loss by water damage while the specimens were being transported to Sydney.
I have yet many notes uncopied, which were roughly written during the expedition, but shall endeavour to clear the work off as soon as possible and pass over them to the
Glumaceae

Search for Glumaceae in

, which remain yet to be named.
I feel quite sorry, that Sir Williams important and interesting journal should althogther cease to appear, and Sir Henry Barkly expresses likewise his regret.
2
Hooker's journal of botany and Kew Garden miscellany ceased publication in 1857.
I can fully imagine, my dear Dr Hooker, that it will be an impossibility for you to devote any great amount of time to the reexamination of my plants; nor am I so immodest to wish this.
3
See J. Hooker to M, 10 October 1857.
It only struck me, that such orders, as Stylid[e]ae, which are nearly all truely Australian might be issued, for the material at my command when defining these plants was quite sufficient for correct conclusions. The same might be said of
Mitrasacme

Search for Mitrasacme in

, where a glance over Mr Benthams simultaneously published species,
4
Bentham (1857).
would easy bring the few errors to light. My notes on these are the result of a very careful study of the living plants. In
Acacia

Search for Acacia in

e I was also safely guided by Mr Benthams labours.
5
Bentham (1842).
The principle difficulties arose to me in the determination of the Indian not the Australian forms; particularly in
Thalamiflorae

Search for Thalamiflorae in

&
Calyciflorae

Search for Calyciflorae in

, which can not be recognized from DC. prodr.
6
A. P. de Candolle (1823-73).
All I wished to claim was to prove what additions had been made to the Austral flora, not to those of the world, — and to offer a full description or at least an accurate and complete diagnostic , which yet would be acceptable for a Austral. Flora, altho the adopted names might prove untenable; indeed many of them I regarded interimistic. It is a great encouragement to me to learn that you deemed some of my new genera worthy of description. I have not yet seen the number in which it appeared.
7
See J. Hooker to M, 10 October 1857. The genera were published in B57.01.01.
Of the sapindaceous tree formerly dedicated to Sir W. Denison I could never get the fruit perfectly ripe, and therefore I gave the name up and took the beautiful Verbenaceous Bush from the Gulf of Carpentaria to express my gratitude in some degree for the kindness, which I experienced from the Governor General.
8
Dennisonia (D. ternifolia) (B59.02.02, p. 158).
It gives me great pleasure to hear of your intention to lay a share of my literary labours before the Veteran Society of the Linneans.
9
See J. Hooker to M, 10 October 1857.
I fully perceived the fall[acious] views adopted by Vriese
10
Vriese (1851); the first part was issued in 1849 and the second in 1850.
in his disquisition of the genera & spec of
Goodeniaceae

Search for Goodeniaceae in

, and trust that he will come wiser home and direct his eminent talents into better channels and save us the trouble of entering into his decimal calculus. — Still the work was useful to me for learning what was known, and I can confidently advance the charming
Goodenia

Search for Goodenia in

s as new which my msc. contains!
11
See J. Hooker to M, 10 October 1857. M's new
Goodenia

Search for Goodenia in

species from the North Australian Exploring Expedition were published in B59.04.04.
The heavy duties on this garden just now have prevented me from advancing the North Austr [Botany] as much as I could have wished, but I thankfully accept your kind aid at Kew hereafter. My spare hours are employed to prepare for the final work, and if once this garden is laid perfectly out and is well stocked (for which purpose I never can solicit too much aid) I can well ask for a couple of years leave of absence to publish the whole of my material under your direction and Sir Williams.
Mr Adamson has left Melbourne, and I have not heard from him for many months. He seems to have been unfortunate in his business. I offered him such pecuniary aid, as my own means enabled me to do, but he did not accept of it at the time. Rest assured, dear Dr Hooker, that to render services to any of your friends will be considered as redeeming the manyfold debts which I incurred to you and your noble father.
Duncan will bring you a large consignment of seeds specimens & pamphlets, also at least two Wardian Cases with plants, and I will send the living
Polygonum platycladum

Search for Polygonum platycladum in

I received lately again some novelties from Moreton Bay, two species of
Schmiedelia

Search for Schmiedelia in

,
12
Presumably S. anodonta and S. pyriformis (B58.03.01, p. 2).
one of [
Cubilia

Search for Cubilia in

] and others about which I shall communicate in my next letter. But this time I will at least define the new Sterculiaceous genus, because Mr Hill informs me, that it is under cultivation (as a
Xanthoxylon

Search for Xanthoxylon in

) at Kew.
13
Probably Argyrodendron (A. trifoliolatum) which M named from specimens collected by the Brisbane River (B58.03.01, p. 2).
Believe me, my dear Doctor,
to be your attached
and obliged
Ferd. Mueller.
I find in Endl. Atakta my
Distichostemon phyllopterus

Search for Distichostemon phyllopterus in

as
Dodonaea hispidula

Search for Dodonaea hispidula in

.
14
Endlicher (1833a).
It is however a well characterized genus, singular amongst Sapindaceous pl. as polyandrous. Its habit is likewise quite distinct.
Fenzlia

Search for Fenzlia in

is as Naudin states truely myrtaceous and my
Lithomyrtus

Search for Lithomyrtus in

.
15
Lithomyrtus

Search for Lithomyrtus in

hypoleuca is included in M's list of plants, 5 March 1857. The plants arrived in London in July 1857 (RBG Kew, 'Plant Lists. Vol 1. Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Australia, New Zealand, Polynesia, 1845-63'). See also M to W. Hooker, 9 January 1858 (in this edition as 58-01-09a).
I would never search for it in Melastomeae.
Litsaea

Search for Litsaea in

is not campanulaceous but myrtaceous.