Document information

Physical location:

RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1858-70, un-numbered folio after f. 44. 60.04.20a

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Joseph Hooker, 1860-04-20 [60.04.20a]. 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/60-04-20a>, accessed April 16, 2025

Melbourne bot & zool Garden,
20 April 1860.
My dear Dr Hooker
Your consignment of dried specimens of dried plants arrived since the despatch of the last mail & I have to tender you my cordial thanks for this valuable contribution to our public collection.
1
See J. Hooker to M, 26 December 1859.
My joy about them would have been greater still, had they arrived in good condition. But who could have anticipated, that so old a bussiness-Gentleman as Mr Pamplin would allow such treasures to proceed on their long seavoyage without being packed in a metal-lined case. Thus many of the specimens, as well as books were greatly damaged by damp.
In better order arrived the valuable 3 fascicle of the Tasmanian Flora
2
J. Hooker (1860). Fascicle 3 was published on 17 October 1856; M is evidently referring to the third fascicle of part 2, published 15 February 1859 (TL2), for he discusses below a the moss species omitted from it.
which you were so generous to send by Dr Seemann.
3
See notes to M to W. Hooker, 20 April 1860.
Accept for them & their friendly manifestations towards me my cordial acknowledgement.
In the bustle of the planting season, I have only been able to cast my eye over the pages & the fascicles being at the binders, I cannot enter much into details about all what you say. I find however that you omitted to enumerate
Donatia Novae Zeelandiae

Search for Donatia Novae Zeelandiae in

from Mount Laperouse, also
Panax sambucifolius

Search for Panax sambucifolius in

4
P. sambucifolium?
from the E. Coast of VDL and
Triodontium

Search for Triodontium in

, unless this moss is reduced to some other genus. I am engaged now on a review of Eucalypti. Thus I find, that E. gigantea is probably the original E. obliqua, as your venerable father already thought in the Bot Magazine when publishing Backhouse's notes.
5
In W. Hooker (1827-64), vol. 69, tab 4036 (published 1843), W. Hooker suggested that Backhouse’s ‘stringy barks’ — the 'Stringy-bark Gum' described by Joseph Hooker in J. Hooker (1860), part 1, pp. 136-7 as
Eucalyptus gigantea

Search for Eucalyptus gigantea in

— were possibly E. obliqua.
Lamark,
6
Lamarck (1791-1823), vol. 3, t. 422.
who I believed copied from L'Heritier
7
L'Héritier (1788), t. 20.
could not have given a more faithful representation. I reduce the 14 Tasm Eucal to 9!
In your list of Indo-Australian plants
8
J. Hooker had sent proof sheets of his list of Indo-Australian plants, later published as pp. xlii-xlix of the 'Introductory Essay' to his Flora Tasmaniae (J. Hooker (1860)), also published separately as J. Hooker (1859a). (See J. Hooker to M, 26 December 1859.)
(i.e. species) you omitted several exempli gratia:
Potamogeton tenuicaulis

Search for Potamogeton tenuicaulis in

which Tuckermann
9
Edward Tuckerman.
considers quite distinct from P hybridus (conf. Fragm phytogr. Austr. p. 244)
10
B59.13.04. In an additional note on P. Tenuicaulis, M quotes an opinion from 'E Tuckermann in litteris'.
Sterculia foetida

Search for Sterculia foetida in

mentioned by R Br; also
Sclerachne punctata

Search for Sclerachne punctata in

RBr found by me in Arnhems Land.,
Capparis incanescens

Search for Capparis incanescens in

& divaricata — amongst genera
Bambusa

Search for Bambusa in

,
Sciadophyllum

Search for Sciadophyllum in

,
Nepenthes

Search for Nepenthes in

,
Musa

Search for Musa in

&c. In your remarks on the missing of so many Indian forms, I would say, that we may still expect them to exist on mountains, such as Mt Bellenden Ker in N.E. Australia 5000'. It is to the absence of mountains alone in N. & N.W. Austr that I adscribe the absence of Balsamin[eae],
Begoniaceae

Search for Begoniaceae in

,
Quercus

Search for Quercus in

& endless other Indian mountain forms.
The flora of West Austr is richer as you had the means of ascertaining. Mr Oldfield brought from thence
Heterodendrum oleifolium

Search for Heterodendrum oleifolium in

,
Nitraria Billardierii

Search for Nitraria Billardierii in

& other Eastern Australian forms & from E. Mt Barren & the Phillips River I have many identical Murray desert plants!
I have acted on your kind suggestion
11
See J. Hooker to M, 26 December 1859
& written to Mr Thwaites for Senna seeds.
12
Letter not found.
Our great desiderata are amongst others
Quadria heterophylla

Search for Quadria heterophylla in

&
Erythroxylum coca

Search for Erythroxylum coca in

,
13
Two of the plants referred to contain pharmaceutically active ingredients: Senna pods (Cassia fistula) containing a laxative and
Erythroxylum coca

Search for Erythroxylum coca in

is the source of cocaine.
Quadria heterophylla

Search for Quadria heterophylla in

 (= Gevuina avellana) produces an edible fruit, and was of commercial importance in Chile in the mid-nineteenth century, where the fruits were known colloquially as  ‘Avellana’ (=hazelnut) (Gay, 1845–[54], vol. 5. pp 311-2).
but I do not know where to obtain them. I have a box with seeds, specimens, barks &c packed for Kew. By next mail I shall be able to say, in what vessel this consignment went.
Many thanks for the seeds & plants pr Great Brittain. Many of the latter suffered & the old fatality carried the
Nuphar

Search for Nuphar in

& the
Papyrus

Search for Papyrus in

off.
Ever your sincerely attached
Ferd. Mueller
When you drew your comparison between the opportunities the meritorious Cunningham had for botanizing with those, which a series of fortunate circumstances afforded to my self, you could not know, that I travelled now 19, 000 miles by land in various lines, 5000 miles in various lines in South Austr on private expense of mine from 1847-1852. 6000 miles in Vict 1853-1855 & 1857-1859. 6000 miles in N. Austr 1855-1856. I have botanical diaries of all these journies.
14
M’s botanical diaries have not been found. In the Introductory Essay to his Flora Tasmaniae (J. Hooker (1860)), Hooker wrote: 'Dr. Mueller has also distinguished himself in several scientific capacities, and, for extent and range of his journeys, ranks second to Allan Cunningham alone of all Australian botanical explorers' (p. cxiii). M was praised in a number of places in the introductory essay, and in the specific account of M's efforts, Hooker wrote 'Dr. Ferdinand Mueller's extensive journeys and important labours ... extend already over a period of ten years of uninterrupted exertion in travelling, or collecting and describing, often under circumstances of great hardship and difficulty, and are of very great merit and importance' (p. cxxii).
When I furnished my notes on Austr Botany in Kew Miscell 185[2] I had examined carefully & analyzed 1500 spec of South Austr phanerogamous plants collected without any aid of the state.
15
Presumably B53.03.01 and B53.04.02. The papers were read before the Linnean Society on 7 and 21 December 1852.
Not enjoying then the friendship of British Botanists few of these ever reached your islands, but they are mostly in Continal
16
Continental?
Museums deposited, an entire set being only in Melbourne.