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RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1858-70, ff. 99-102. 63.05.13

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to George Bentham, 1863-05-13. 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/63-05-13>, accessed April 19, 2025

Melbourne bot Garden
13/5/63.
My dear Mr Bentham.
It was with extreme pleasure that I perused the interesting sheets of print,
1
See G. Bentham to M, 19 March 1863 (in this edition as 63-03-19a).
commencing your great opus. Beyond the ample information, which the work affords me, I had the gratification of observing your kind appreciation of what I contributed towards it, and this to a much greater extent as I fear my exertions entitled me to. Would God my health was more firm, then with the increasing facilities for working here, I should prove more useful to you still. I have commenced working up the Acaciae; and I find it a much more difficult undertaking than I anticipated, for we have both on insufficient material not always recognized the true limits of the species, though they appear to me to be remarkably well-marked. With the increasing [suite] of specimens I found for instance, that you had (from scanty material) united in the Linnaea three distinct species of Acacia under A. Brownii.
2
A. brownei, see Bentham (1853) p. 610.
Each has its peculiar climatically & geographically circumscribed range; A. tetragonophylla, an exclusive desert plant with strophioles surrounding the whole seed; A. tenuifolia a forest species, with strophioles clasping the base of the seeds & A. Brownii of Granit-tracts with no strophiole. These carpologic characters (supported by other [ma]rks) are of course not subject to variation and I have no fear, that you will find my diagnoses not stand the test. A. Brownii is I think nothing else (as you surmised) than a var. of A juniperina, and I do not know how A vomeriformis & A Gunnii with the same estrophiolate seeds are to be distinguished from it. Hence I have transferred the latter to the pungentes, especially as we have in A. verticillata varieties with correspondingly broad & narrow phyllodia.
I beg to submit to you a list of supplementary & emendatory notes on the sheets this time arrived from you. They will come too late for the volume; but I have no doubt you will find them useful for the appendix of the second volume. Mr Charles Moore, who is staying here at present on a visit, will have an opportunity to look over the pages already sent by you, & will be able to supplement the list of localities of New South Wales plants, as far as he can recognize them with certainty.
Allow me to mention, that in your kindly diagnostifying the
Hibbertia potentilliflora

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, you, following the generality of authors, write potentillaeflora. I had with one of the most learned philologs of Germany, Dr Albrecht Klander of Ploen a conversation on the best classical rules for conjunctive endings in these and other cases, and he decidedly agreed with me that Linnaeus was most correct in deriving his conjunctive endings from the dative of plural. Either method has become now sanctioned by use, yet the Linnean one is the preferable one. This is at least the German view of the question, and if you not concur in it, pray excuse my remark.
By last mail I mentioned that for nothing in the world should I wish to do anything to deserve your censure.
3
See M to G. Bentham, 16 April 1863.
You will find, when the essay on Gregorys N.W. Austr plants
4
B63.13.03.
comes into your hands, that it contains nothing amongst
Thalamiflorae

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that could have been of any value to your pages of the 1 vol of the Australian Flora.
I hope to send you probably pr "Anglesey" ere long a case with Acaciae
5
The case was sent on 8 June 1863 (RB MSS M44, Notebook recording despatch of plants for Bentham for Flora australiensis, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.)
& to be not behind in the elaboration of the order, so that whilst you are working up the Extra Victorian Genera I shall prepare the species of the Victorian genera. When after
Leguminosae

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commencing the
Myrtaceae

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I will send you at once the huge sets of Eucalypti, to the diagnoses of which (as given in the Phytographia
6
M is here referring to B60.05.01, pp. 32-71.
) little remains to be added except placental characters. It would be highly agreable to me, if you would revise them first, before I enter them into the "plants of Victoria",
7
The text of The plants indigenous to the Colony of Victoria did not proceed beyond vol. 1;
Eucalyptus

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was not included in the pages printed before work on it ceased after p. 40 (see B63.13.06).
so that I may have the benefit of identifications of yours. I feel sorry, that you kept not
Busbeckia

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up as a genus; for whatever may be the aestivation of the calyx in extra Australian species, this much is certain, that
Busbeckia

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has not even sutures in its calyx. I regard this genus and also
Brachychiton

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as infinitely more clearly & naturally defined, than
Pronaya

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,
Polanisia

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, and many others, held up by yourself and which are not limited by nature. But alas on genera we will ever remain in uncertainty, though we should finally not on species. It was highly gratifiying to me to observe, that you have obliterated all synonyms, not resting on diagnosis.
8
See Lucas (1995) for the context of M's concern.
As regards
Citriobatus megacarpus

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I cannot imagine, that Cunningham could have found the same species on the N.W. coast, because no Brigalow Scrub exists there, and it is in this peculiar physiognomy of vegetation (restricted to the interior of the warmer parts of E. Australia) where my larger-fruited
Citriobatus

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exists. It would be well worth to recompare once more the species
Allow me to remark, that the locality "Swan River" for Drummonds plants should be altered into "W. Australia" simply, because it is quite evident, that many of the plants introduced by you as Swan River plants are not growing within several hundred miles of the river and in quite different geographic zones. In the quotations of Stuarts, the explorers, pray remember that his first christian name is John (M'douall Stuart) Dr Hillebrand's name is not always correctly given. I shall probably for a time suspend the publication of the fragmenta, so as to concentrate my spare hours upon the "plants of Victoria" the main time of mine being absorbed in other departmental work. Indeed often weeks after weeks pass without my being able to advance botanical literature except on Sundays. How much I may be able to do in future must depend on the state of my health, which at the whole is rather improving. I beg to send you a draft for £10., as I have to pay for a few copies of the Genera, for which I subscribed. Pray be so kind to have a copy of your Flora elegantly bound and present it in our joint name to Prince Alberts library.
9
Presentation copies not found in the Royal libraries. See also G. Bentham to M, 12 October 1863.
My late illustrious countryman received my fragmenta so kindly that I should feel very proud to see your important work, in which I helped a little, also on the shelves of the library of his son & my future sovereign.
The arrangements of your localities is admirable and must be very satisfactorely to all colonies. I hope to be able to arrange for the sending of the second draft of £100 (for vol. II) by this mail; at least I have the promise of Mr Haines, that this item should come timely under the consideration of the Parliament.
I need not say, that I shall be extremely glad to receive also in future the proof-sheets, as they pass through the press. It has been unfortunate for me that in Walpers Repertorium the Turczanow.
10
Turczaninow?
species of later date have been omitted, as I have evidently in the case of
Cheiranthera

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11
Walpers (1842-8). M had described
Cheiranthera

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brevifolia (previously described by Turczaninow as C. filifolia) in B59.04.04, p. 97.
redescribed what was known.
Sir Henry Barkly informs me, that Sir Will. Hooker stated, hitherto only the Vict Government had made the remittance for your Work. Sir Henry wrote himself to the Governors of Adelaide & Brisbane on the subject & I have done so to Sir John Young, the Governor of New South Wales.
12
Letter not found.
Acac Patens differs widely from the alpine A. siculiformis (A Stuart)
13
M's MS name A. patens is listed as a synonym of A. siculiformis in B59.02.01, p. 120. In a note to the entry Bentham wrote: 'F. Mueller’s specimens of A. patens appear to agree in every respect with the original ones of A. siculaeformis .—GB'.
it is a desert species of tropical Austral.
Acacia obliqua

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& A. acinacea, altho in two sections formerly, are one species. A. axillaris I traced into A Riceana, A ovoidea A. verticillata & I doubt whether A. oxycedrus is truly distinct from the latter [...]
14
Illegible, interlined at top of f. 102.
Would you be so kind to forward also one volume of your Flora Austral on my account to Prof Dr Rafn of Copenhagen & to Prof Dr Lange of Copenhagen & to Prof Dr Forchhammer of Copenhagen? Having received my education in Denmark, I feel yet much filial piety & attachment to that country & am anxious to keep as one of its former sons up my communications with the men of science there.
15
For M's sentimental link with Denmark, see Home (1997).
Ever with grateful regards, dear Mr Bentham,
your
Ferd Mueller
I think it will always prove worth looking over my manuscripts at Kew.
16
MSS not found.
17
The remaining text is filed at f. 7 of this volume. It has been added to the present letter on the basis that Bentham's response to the 'curious new
Mirbelia

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(leafless)' is in G. Bentham to M, 15 August 1863, the letter in which responses are made to other topics in the dated part of this letter.
I am not certain whether I mentioned by last mail, that I erred in regard to the definitions of Brachysema What I repeatedly distributed as latifolium = B. lanceolat[um], what I called by the latter name is a new species B. bracteolosum of which I enclose a sprigg.
18
No earlier reference to the definitions of Brachysema has been found in surviving letters sent to Bentham in 1863.
I find amongst my plants a curious new
Mirbelia

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(leafless) Of the Acacia from the Suttor
19
Suttor River, Qld.
I have now good specimens. I named it A Nernstii. It is one of the very few "pungentes" of tropical Australia.
I have also a new Brachysema with almost black petals,
20
M described
Brachysema bracteolosum

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,
Mirbelia

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aphylla, Acacia nernstii and Brachysema melanopetalum in B63.09.01, pp. 10, 11, 3, 11 respectively.
and I find that
Lalage

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is a mere section of
Bossiaea

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.
More about this by next mail.