Document information

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RBG Kew, Directors' letters, vol. LXXV, Australian and Pacific letters 1859-65, letter no. 128. 60.11.24

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Hooker, 1860-11-24. 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/60-11-24>, accessed April 17, 2025

Melbourne botanic & zoologic Garden,
24. Nov 60
My dear Sir William.
It was with the utmost pleasure, that I received once more a letter from your hand,
1
Letter not found.
accompanied by the continuation of that valued work the "species filicum".
2
W. Hooker (1846-64).
Accept for your kind transmittance of the same my grateful acknowledgement. May you be spared us to continue long your inestimable labours & complete amongst others this valuable work. I regret only, that the scantiness of our fern flora prevents me of contributing additional material towards it. This morning I have forwarded pr. "Lincolnshire" in a permanently fixed aquarium some fresh water fish of this country for the information of some of the British Ichthyologists to the zoolog. Society, and I availed myself of the opportunity of placing into the water-basin plants of
Azolla

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,
Triglochin procerum

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and
Damasonium ovalifolium

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RBr which are intended for your kind acceptance. A passenger of the same ship, a Mr Harrington, has been so friendly as to take a specimen of
Randia Fitzalani

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to you; it originated by the Burdekin Expedition. The report on the plants collected in the tour will be sent to you by this or next mail.
3
B60.13.12.
Enclosed a myr[cioid] plant (the first as far as I am aware) found in the eastern hemisphere.
4
Myrcia australasica (B60.13.12, p. 7); but see M to W. Hooker, 25 April 1861.
— I have lately added greatly to my library in having purchased all Wight works.
5
Wight (1846-51), Wight (1840-50), Wight (1843-53), Wight (1834), Wight & Arnott (1834).
Asa Grays explo. Exped.
6
A. Gray (1854), A. Gray (1856).
Gaudichauds Freycenets
7
The Library at MEL has Freycinet & Gaudichaud (1826-30) and Gaudichaud (1844-52).
&c &c. Looking over the pages of Asa Grays illustrations I find that we have amongst the plants (hitherto indeterminable to me) a
Byronia

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from Arnhem's Land, which is the first representant made known of the order
Ilicineae

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in Australia.
8
Byronia

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arnhemensis (B61.02.02, p. 119).
I have a vast amount of duplicates to send to Kew, but cannot find time to put them into order til the beginning of next year, as I am proceeding to the Alps before.
I rejoyce to hear of Dr Kirks ardent labours in South Africa, and trust that the amazing quantity of plants which he has gathered will be at once embodied in a "Zambia-flora" similar to the excellent Niger flora,
9
W. Hooker (1849).
which parades on my bookshelves prominently, amongst the long series of your works, which I am glad to say I possess complete & are the daily source of instruction to me.
I hope Dr Hooker will take care of his health in the Orient;
10
J. Hooker visited Palestine and Syria during his six weeks of leave in 1860; see J. Hooker to M, 20 October 1860.
it is not the best place to proceed to in certain seasons for sake of recreation to so labouriously working a savant as your son. However as a medical man he will guard himself I trust [doubly] and will again be able to add to our store of knowledge.
You will observe that we have at last ascertained the native habitat of
Lactaria calocarpa

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Hasskarl.
11
Hasskarl had described
Lactaria calocarpa

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(as Bleekeria calocarpa) in 1855, noting that it was cultivated in Sydney, but was not certain whether it was native to New Holland or introduced from elesewhere. It was found in the wild during the Burdekin expedition, thus showing that it was native to Australia; see B60.13.12, p. 15.
I enclose a branchlets of a new Araucaria (A. Rulei F. M.) found by Mr Will. Duncan, botanical collector to J Rule Esq on an extinct volcano 5000' high in one of the small islands off New Caledonia.
12
M described Araucaria rulei in B61.09.01, p. 868.
Ever with deep and grateful regards
yours
Ferd. Mueller