Document information

Physical location:

RBG Kew, Colonial Floras, ff. 59-63. 61.12.24

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to George Bentham, 1861-12-24. 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/61-12-24>, accessed April 29, 2025

Melbourne bot. & zool. Garden,
24 Dec. 1861
My dear and venerable Sir
Your kind letter, dated 15 Oct, has been to me the source of very great gratification and I feel thankful and proud for your having generously acceded to my proposition and alloted to me a share in the work on Australian plants. My own position in the great undertaking I beg you will admit as a very subordinate one, and it appears to me that you have in the proposed title given more to me as is due. If you will kindly allow me to suggest some slight alterations it would be: to substitute the classically correct and more geographically appropriate & perhaps more euphonious name Flora Australiana; to say Australian territory instead of colonies instead of colonies,
1
instead of colonies repeated, interlined.
as much of the north, from whence we have rich collections, will not be colonized for a good while. Further perhaps you would say with assistance of notes (only) as many of my descriptions are already published in some work or the other. I have further to bring under your notice, that I have been succeeded in the presidency of the Royal Society of Victoria by His Excellency Sir Henry Barkly & that whilst elected Vice president of the Acclimation Society I have ceased to be Director of the zoolog. Garden, a new & more extensive area having been found for this zoolog. establishment in an other part of our environs. Being thus relieved of a very onerous part of my duties I shall have much more leisure for my literary work. As soon as the estimates are passed, I shall not fail to remit the £100 - - for the first volume of the work. Immediately after the arrival of your letter I packed up 27 fascicles of Thalamiflorae, comprising the apocarpous & rhoead[e]ous sections, the examination of which will probably occupy one month, as it will be a difficult task even to so highly experienced & acute sighted phytologist as yourself, to limit the species so as to arrive at cardinal characters, which will stand the test in the Australian field. I found it very tedious work to arrive at the limitations adopted in "the plants indig. to Victoria".
2
B62.03.03.
Notes I have not furnished this time, as I am anxious to send yet this week the herbarium off; moreover there is little to add to what I published in the plants of Victoria & in the fragmenta regarding the apocarpeae & rhoeadeae. Of the second vol. of the fragmenta the index is sent to Sir Will Hooker by this mail. If you would favor me with the proofsheets of the flora as they come out, I will gladly add then notes, which would arrive in time for supplementary pages of
the volume. This time I send only a new definition of the genus
Wilkiea

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, also description of the rare Lepidium strongylophyllum.
3
Described, using M's herbarium name, in Bentham (1863-78), vol. 1, p. 84.
In the later fascicles such as
Sapindaceae

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, I shall be called on to give more notes. The habitats will very well be elicited from the herbarium & the work on Victorian plants. But in the instances, when neither of the two furnish them, I shall specially enumerate the ranges of distribution.
In sorting the specimina I have placed the plants together as near as I consider them related without always entering into their careful analysis. It will be for you to decide whether for instance Hibb. virgata, fasciculata & angustifolia (altho these I did analyze)
4
altho these … analyze is added in the margin.
should form species or varieties. The Candolleas require a careful sifting, analyzing & rearranging. The genus is quite untenable! I hope it will finally fall to our share to erect a permanent botanical genus as a monument of the great Candolle, and that the grandeur of the plant will be commensurate with the greatness of such a man. — you state that no additions have been received to Cochlospermum. C. heteronemum will probably be C. Frazeri of Planchon, but the C. Gregorii is widely distinct & not the same as C. Gossypium. You find it described in the fragmenta
5
B59.02.03, p. 71.
Of
Menispermeae

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we have 6 Australian species.
You may probably find it useful to consult my manuscripts lodged at Kew, altho' some portions become emendated by later investigations & some has become obsolete. But what I would most imploringly solicit from you, is not to admit any synonyms except such as by the publication of diagnoses cannot be excluded . Altho' a preliminary name may have appeared in print in my reports, letters &c yet such a name has no claim to be promulgated, as in most instances it had been corrected by my own later investigations.
6
See Lucas (1995) for a discussion of M's anxiety about publication of unsupported synonyms.
I should for instance be sorry to see
Cocculus Hookeri

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7
Cocculus hookerianus?
appear as synonym in the new work. When writing to Sir William Hooker on that plant, I saw only fruit, but no sooner got I afterwards flowers, I had of course no difficulty in referring it to Stephania. Well did our noble friend Harvey express himself on this subject, when referring to the host of names for Pelargonia he says: "names ignoble born to be forgot"! —
That Lagunaria Pattersoni[i]
8
Lagunaria patersonii?
is now added to the truely Australian flora, & which as a Norfolk island plant it could not be counted, will interest you, as it adds a genus of great beauty and sharp distinction.
I think I could aid a little in your genera plantarum ,
9
Bentham & Hooker (1862-83).
if I had the proof-sheets.
You may expect every month a similar consigment than that now announced; But I do not think you will be able to place more than Thalamiflorae into the first volume. I can assure you, that I look forward with the greatest pleasure to the long regular & continued Correspondence, which will be caused by my being called to the honorable position of aiding you; and I hope, that you will unhesitatingly instruct me on all occasions, how I can best serve your purpose. If any particular order, requiring much fieldstudy is desired by you to be worked up by myself & you will point out, which, it will be gladly undertaken. — Under all circumstances I will endeavour to remain with fragmenta & plants of Victoria ahead, thus to facilitate your work.
With sentiments of the highest regard,
dear Sir,
yours
Ferd Mueller
Geo. Bentham Esq
President of the Linnéan
Society
First consignment of herbaria to Sir Will. Hooker for Mr Bentham's perusal, to be forwarded probably this week pr "Young Australian", otherwise by the next Clipper. Bill of loading will be sent as well with the ship taking the consignment, as also by the next mail. The box is lined with metal inside and the custom seal impressed on it.
Ranunculaceae

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:
Clematis

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, fascicles
2
Ranunculus

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2
Anemone

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,
Caltha

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, Myosur
10
Myosurus

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.
[&c]
1
Cabombeae

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1
Magnoliaceae

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1
Anonaceae

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1
Monimieae

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2
Dilleniaceae

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,
Hemistemma

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,
Huttia

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&c
1
Hibbertia

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(Cyclandra)
4
Hibbertia

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(Pleurandra)
4
Menispermeae

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1
Papaveraceae

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1
Capparideae

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11
In his notebook recording the transmission of specimens to Kew for Bentham's use in preparing Flora australiensis, M records having sent a total of 4 fascicles of
Capparideae

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instead of the 3 shown here (RB MSS M44, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne).
3
Cruciferae

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3
Total Fasc.
27
Ferd. Mueller.
24/12/61
12
The postscript is on a separate sheet (f. 63) and, as it is separately signed and dated, may have been sent separately, perhaps to another recipient.