Document information

Physical location:

RBG Kew, Colonial floras, ff. 54-8. 61.07.23

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Hooker, 1861-07-23. 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/61-07-23>, accessed April 6, 2025

Melbourne, botanic & zoologic Garden
23. July 1861
My very dear Sir William.
I have your noble letters, dated 18 and 25 May before me, accompanied by communications from your son & Mr Bentham.
1
The letters of W. Hooker to M have not been found; but see G. Bentham to M, 22 May 1861 and J. Hooker to M, 24 May 1861. See also G Bentham to M, 16 May 1861.
All the principle passages of these letters urging to one point, namely the edition of an Australian Flora by Mr Bentham under Colonial support, I shall adress myself solely to yourself, well knowing that the relative questions will be fully discussed in your high triumvirate, whenever a decision shall have been arrived at by the Australian Governments in reference to the subsidies sought for this publication.
Altho' afraid, that I shall merely reiterate, what I already stated on various occasions, I venture to bring once more my own ideas on the contemplated universal Australian Flora before you, not with a view to urge their adoption, but with a sincere desire to offer my counsels on a work, which, — to speak with Humboldt —, lange in unbestimmten Umrissen vor mir schwebte,
2
'I have long had in mind in vague outlines': The reference is to the first sentence in the preface to Humboldt (1845-62): 'Ich uebergebe am spaeten Abend eines vielbewegten Lebens dem deutschen Publikum ein Werk, dessen Bild in unbestimmten Umrissen mir fast ein halbes Jahrhundert lang vor der Seele schwebte.' (vol. 1, p. v).
and in the issue of which I always hoped to take a prominent part. Indeed it is not saying too much, that ever since 1847 when I arrived in Australia, I sacrificed all other interests for the purpose of concentrating such means, as by endowment of nature or by by
3
by repeated.
the course of events were at my commands for the compilation of an universal work on Australian plants, for which all I have hitherto done must be regarded as preliminary. You are, my dear Sir William, fully aware that I have travelled since 1847 nearly 21 000 miles by land principly with a view to render myself acquainted with the vegetation of this continent. I have moreover copious as yet uncopied notes of my diaries,
4
Diaries not found.
which I wished to bring to bear on the habitats of the species, whilst in our herbarium we amassed gradually in addition to my own through various collectors such extensive series of specimina, that I cannot but think a work on Australia's Flora could not be perfected without direct consultation of this material. The fascicles of Australian plants in our botanical Museum amount already to 82, 240, 77, 85, 70, 35, large collections of being besides lent to European Botanists, considerable additions not yet inserted and vast additions expected from several collectors now travelling in the interior, whilst weekly or even daily numerous friends forward specimina to me.
Nevertheless it is but right I should admit, that my multifarious official duties have during the last four years left me not even leisure enough to accomplish the task of fully digesting these collections; but since the garden, over which I hold the Directorship, will in the course of this year be finally formed in all its parts and since I shall moreover ere long be relieved of the main-administration of the zoological department, I may hope, if providence grants me life and health, to advance with my botanical labours much more speedily than before, whilst I have meanwhile put all our huge collections into perfect order and access and have to such an extent augmented my library as to enter with fair strength on future literary work. That my herbarium is devoid of very few Australian species is, I think, indisputable, and that the series of specimina is much more extensive and select than in any other herbarium I have reason to believe.
Yet I am fully impressed with the superiority of Mr Bentham over almost all phytographers of this age, and especially for me, who numberes little more than half the years of your celebrated friend it would be althogther unbecoming to place myself with him in equal rank, and no one can more fully appreciate the power of his genius, his assiduity and his comprehensive knowledge, of which we have again before us a remarkable example in the Hong Kong Flora.
5
Bentham (1861a).
Still persuaded by a profound desire, to see the forthcoming work perfect in all its details, as far as present discoveries go,
6
MS annotation by W. Hooker: 'Algs to Harvey Apjohnia laetevirens'.
I cannot suppress my opinion, that it is not sufficient for critical demarkation of Australian species, which after all will be the primary aim of the work, to elaborate plants of this country merely in a museum or library; and here it is, where I believe my views at the whole are least likely apt to be erroneous as regards limitation of species, having watched the circumstances, which rule their variation, so long in the field.
These were however not the only considerations, which induced me formerly to express a wish of sharing in the authorship of an Australian Flora; for I could not but be aware, how in my position as Botanist to the Victorian Government the task would devolve on me of furnishing an Australian Flora partial or general, especially since I made my office for several years past the centre of botanical information for all Australia. I have further in my "plants of Victoria"
7
B62.03.03.
and in the "fragmenta" already deposited nearly complete monographic essays on certain orders, such as , , &c &c, whereas further it would be, in my opinion, hopeless to do justice to an elaboration of such genera as , , and others, requiring careful study in the field unless my herbarium and its notes would be fully available for comparison. Should Mr Bentham without this aid issue his pages, copious supplements, if not (as even in the admirable Memoir on )
8
Bentham (1857).
alterations must immediately follow, a necessity which I think might be avoided by arrangements at the outset.
Anxious to sketch out a plan of operations to secure the greatest completeness of the work you will, my dear Sir William, find me prepared to send home in integrity portion after portion of our standard herbarium as gradually required during the progress of the work, it being stipulated that the fascicles of the collection are restituted to our botanical museum, whenever the revisal at Kew is accomplished. I shall also be perpared to defray the cost of transmission and remission, if Mr Bentham will undertake the clearance of the consignments to and fro at London and will always secure the collections again in metal-lined carefully closed cases, when returned. I will also in my department out of a small vote, I have for the publication of my works as long as Government and Parliament sanction the continuance remit £100 for each volume, so that only £50 from South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland would be required respectively, a contribution fair in proportion to our population; and should the grants for my work be discontinued I will save the above specified sum out of my salary annually for the purpose. I will further arrange, that as far as possible diagnoses, notes on the range of species, on variation &c are furnished either in print or in manuscript along with the specimina to be transmitted, establishing myself no further claims on the authorship of the flora, than some such as by mutual concession is so justly held by Dr Hooker towards the Ceylon Flora,
9
The title page of Thwaites (1864), attributes authorship as follows: 'G. H. K. Thwaites; assisted in the identification of the species and synonymy by J. D. Hooker'.
a claim which you feel is due to me in the official capacity I hold and under the consideration that not likely any other collections placed at Mr Bethams disposal are to the same extent elaborated.
Mr Bentham thinks to embody not only all but also the in the first volume, whilst probably the former will occupy alone more than the allotted 500 pages and should, I think, be held in a volume separate as a distinct division of the empire of plants. It appears to me also advantageous to sift from specific descriptions notes relative to measurements and other characters subject to wide fluctuations; nor can I recommend as long as we aim to produce an inexpensive and portabe work, that it should be encumbered with lithographies, particularly if these are not for the guidance of students accompanied by analytical details. On the other hand I believe an augmentation of the work by quotations not merely of authors of species and genera, but also of the original citat of their respective writing would be of vast instruction.
With sentiments of the deepest veneration, I remain,
my dear Sir William,
your humble and attached
Ferd. Mueller.
Sir Will. Jacks Hooker,
K.H., Kn. Leg. Hon., D.C.L.
L.L.D., FRS., V.P.L.S.
&c &c &c