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RBG Kew, Directors' letters, vol. LXXIV, Australia letters 1851-8, letter no. 183. 58.07.15

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Hooker, 1858-07-15. 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/58-07-15>, accessed September 11, 2025

Melbourne bot gardens
15 July 1858
My much beloved Sir William.
The mail due on the 5. of this month did not yet arrive. I have therefore but few things to allude to by this days mail. I will however always when at home remain in uninterrupted line with my monthly letters — there is little to send by this mail either. I have forwarded a few copies of my Fragmenta 1.2.
1
B58.06.01.
, which also were sent by last mail. I add this time the beginning of the 3 fasc.
2
B58.07.01.
I trust you will not be displeased with them, because they contain some of my N. A. plants.
3
Plants collected on the North Australian Exploring Expedition, 1855-6.
For altho' I have by no means given my favorite [idea] up, of visiting you and your noble establishment, I think the work will be enormous during my brief stay under any circumstances. Thus whatever is published before will be a relief. There can be no doubt about the [novelty] of all the Australian forms in Mr Gregorys collection, and I can leave the Indian types until I enjoy your counsels. — And if you would patronize the Fragmenta, I should ask for more of the most valuable identifications, which I owe to the experience of Mr Black.
4
Alan Black, Curator of the Kew Herbarium.
Then any thing new or as an Australian plant undescribed may be put into my periodical, and if providence grants me life and health, I may have in two years 5000 good diagnoses in it, which could be easily republished in systematic order. — I will not touch upon the following orders until I leave from here as probably the Linnean Society and any other scientif. body of Britain may deem them acceptable as containing such a large share of novelty: viz
Eucalyptus

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,
Acacia

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,
Goodeniaceae

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,
Stylideae

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&
Mitrasacme

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.
Next mail I hope to be able to send you my new report
5
B58.11.02?
& the continuation of the Fragmenta. We are now importing living plants from the Murray River & have done so from the Grampians, of all of which, when properly established, [Kew]
6
editorial addition — obscured by binding.
shall participate.
I repeat a brief supplem. to Dr Hookers Fl. Tasm.
7
J. Hooker (1860); the first fascicle of vol. 2 had been published on 3 May 1858 (TL2). The 'brief supplem.' to which M refers was probably the set of notes, not found, that he sent with M to W. Hooker, 14 June 1858.
Hardenbergia monophylla

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Rocky hills near Richmond. Oldfield.
Panax Gunnii

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berries black.
Persoonia Gunnii

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Plains behind Recherche Bay.
Drapetes Tasmanica

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near the summit of Mt. Laperouse. Centaurea melit[ensis]. South Port. Oldfield.
I cannot exactly make out, what species Dr Hooker regards as
Brachycome linearifolia

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. Sonder & myself have taken B. marginata Bth. for the Cunninghamian species. this is common in most localitites of V.D.L, but has broad-winged achenia.
Trusting that you will pardon me, my dear Sir William, for not more carefully & explicitly writing by this mail, and wishing you Gods blessings, I remain
Your ever attached
Ferd. Mueller.