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RBG Kew, Directors' letters, vol. LXXIV, Australia letters 1851-8, letter no. 177. 58.04.15

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Hooker, 1858-04-15. 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/58-04-15>, accessed November 14, 2024

Melbourne bot Garden
15. April 1858
My dear Sir William.
We are again disappointed in not receiving our home letters, due before the despatch of the English mail, and I have therefore few remark to offer by this steamer.
I beg to say, that your plants, sent per "Norfolk" are prospering. I bought a copy of Flora Tasmanica, which happened to be for sale at Hobarton, and am now at last in possession of fasc IV of this valuable work.
1
J. Hooker (1860). Fascicle IV was published on 28 July 1857 (TL2).
From a hasty glance I am convinced, that I have to contribute not only many additional notes to the
Coralliflorae

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, but also several species and I commence this time with
Limnanthemum exiguum

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,
Sebaea albidiflora

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&c Mr Oldfields new researches in the S W. of V.D.L.
2
Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania).
prove the occurrence of the [Genus]
Gingidium

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there,
3
Presumably G. procumbens (B58.03.01, p. 15).
which again produces an [edemic] species. Some new notes on
Epacridae

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I hope to supply by next mail. It is quite evident, that Dr Hooker had in many instances to contend with imperfect material, and I believe to be in the position to prove, that many reductions in the species are again necessary. In the pharmac. journal, which I have the pleasure to forward, I described the new Rhus rhodanthemum,
4
B58.04.01, p. 43.
like your South African one, it is decandrous.
Leucopogon affinis

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is an excellent species and ranges as far as Moreton Bay! but grows not in South Australia, altho in Victoria, N.S. Wales & Tasmania. —
I have written to Mr Pamplin to send me as soon as possible the new edition of Steudel Nomenclator Botanicus
5
Steudel (1840-1).
which would be very useful for my compiling the new catalogue of the garden. A second hand copy of Bot. Magaz. & Bot. Regist.
6
Curtis (1787-1800), Sims (1810-26) and W. Hooker (1827-64); S. Edwards (1815-28), Lindley (1829-47).
would be also the most powerful aid in my labours I could have.
I intend to devote my spare hours for a few months to the genus Eucalyptus. If any duplicates of this genus authentically named were obtainable anywhere, it would be indeed a great aid.
I hope my letter per last mail reached your friend Ch. Darwin.
7
In reply to C. Darwin to M, 8 December 1857; see M to C. Darwin, March 1858 (in this edition as 58-03-00c). Lucas (2010), pp. 103–4, shows that the citation in Darwin's manuscript now published as Stauffer (1975), p. 553, did not, as Burkhardt et al. (1985–), vol. 8, p. 501 infer, come from this letter.
Wishing you all prosperity
I am, dear Sir William,
Your humble
Ferd Mueller.
Eucalyptus [R]isdoni is certainly only a young state of an alternately leaved Eucalyptus!
8
Joseph Hooker described
Eucalyptus risdoni

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in J. Hooker (1847), p. 477.
The genus
Maundia

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occurs in my North Austr. collection as
Leiostigma

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9
M erected
Maundia

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(M. triglochinoides) in B58.03.01, p 23; it had been distributed as '
Leiostigma

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(ng) troglochinoides' collected at Brisbane River: see K 98531. That sheet, and sheets MEL 2057296 and MEL 2057297, also carry the name Triglochin maundii, a name given provisionally in B67.12.01, p. 83.
a name which is not very characteristic in
Juncagineae

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.