Document information

Physical location:

RBG Kew, Directors' letters, vol. LXXV, Australian and Pacific letters 1859-65, letter no. 111. 59.03.15

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Hooker, 1859-03-15. 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/59-03-15>, accessed April 19, 2025

Melbourne bot. & zool.
Garden, 15 March 1859
My dear and venerable Sir William.
Only since a very few days am I in possession of the munificent contribution, which you and your esteemed son furnished to my library & for which donation I tender you my warmest thanks. I am quite amazed to observe what an enormous amount of work of the greatest scientific value you still continue to furnish to Botany;— and how pleasing it must be to you to see Dr Hooker following so ardently your noble example.
Dr Crozier brought me many joyful news of you verbally & I shall avail myself of his return to England, to send a set of Mr Dallachy’s Darling-River plants, containing several novelties & many rarities.
This time I beg to offer you the complete No 4 of my Fragmenta & a copy of the Report on Mr Babbages plants.
1
B59.02.03 (Fragmenta), B59.04.02 (Babbage report). B59.04.02 was published on 1 April, so if this is what M sent to Hooker, it must have been in proof sheets or as a pre-print. There is a copy of the report with the same pagination as B59.04.02 in the bound collection of M's articles in the RBG Kew, Library (F. Mueller Opuscula, descriptions, 1855-83).
Our worthy friend Dr G. Bennett,
2
George Bennett, d. 1893.
who is on a visit to Europe, will bring a second copy.
I have been elected against my wish President of the phil. Institute and fear shall be obliged to fill the high office for this year.
3
M had also been elected Vice President in 1858, in his absence when he was 'unable to oppose' his nomination (M to W. Hooker, 15 March 1858).
My duties here are very onerous & often do I wish, I were at least in some slight & humble way able to live on a private income. I would than hasten to Kew and devote the rest of my days to the elucidation of the Australian Flora. — I was exceedingly gratified with the parcel of dried Austral
4
Indian? M reported to his Minister that he had during March received dried specimens of Indian plants (M to J. O'Shanassy, April 1859 (in this edition as 59-04-00b)), and Joseph Hooker and Thomas Thomson were the authors of Flora indica (1855).
plants presented by Drs Thomson & Hooker & certainly to an Australian Botanist nothing can be more instructive than South Asiatic plants.
Dr Milligan sent me lately
Persoonia Gunnii

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from Port Davy .
5
Port Davey, Tas.
I have lately examined the fruit of
Myrtus tenuifolia

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. It is a true Myrtus . [Dr] Lindleys
Elaeodendron maculosum

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= Flindersia (Strzeleckia) maculosa mihi
With my sincerest attachment & gratitude
I remain, much beloved Sir,
your very humble
Ferd. Mueller.
I was struck with the beautiful illustration furnished by Dr Hooker on
Balanophoreae

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.
6
J. Hooker (1856).
I have never been able to find a plant of this order.