Document information

Physical location:

RBG Kew, Directors' letters, vol. LXXV, Australian and Pacific letters 1859-65, letter no. 168. 63.06.08

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Hooker, 1863-06-08. 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/63-06-08>, accessed April 19, 2025

Melbourne bot. Garden
8/6/63.
My dear Sir William.
I beg to transmit to you pr. Anglesey case No. 12 with botanical specimina for Mr Benthams use. They have been carefully packed in a dry room, and rough paper is placed between the packages, in order that great pressure on the specimina and their papersheets may be avoided. The consignment is but small, as you will see from the appended list, but will help Mr Bentham on his way, and I hope since my moving into a reconstructed dwelling to be enabled to let consignment on consignment follow in more regular and frequent succession. I am extremely sorry to report, that my first superficial inspection of the fascicles returned pr Roxburgh castle and mentioned as safely and uninjured arrived has proved fallacious;
1
See M to G. Bentham, 25 May 1863.
for a very great number of plants in various fascicles have been very seriously damaged, some of the specimina being quite covered by an aeruginous film of milldew. Indeed the majority of the parcels arrived so damp, that I am obliged to turn the plants at once into new paper and dip them into oil of turpentine for cleaning them of the fungi; but of course the color of many is lost. This misfortune has not arisen, as far as I can make out, from exposure of the plants to wet during the voyage, as the tin-coverings prove close and good; but the impression is left on my mind, that these parcels must have been allowed to lie at Kew prior to packing either in a damp unheated store during the wet winter months or on the floor of some room. Indeed the parcels are partially damp throughout. It was almost with tears in my eyes, that I contemplated this destruction of specimens, some of which I had kept so well notwithstanding the many moving about which they had for very many years. Would you be so kind to issue orders, that your attendants never move the parcels out of the tin cases and never allow them to be but in dry rooms, so that not such grievious damages may reoccur. There are many accidents to which the specimens may be exposed over which we have no control, but those, which we can remove by control should, I feel sure you will agree, not befal us.
Would you kindly mention to Dr Hooker, that Mr C. Moore has discovered an Eucryphia on the Clyde River. It is in every respect alike to E. Billardierei, but has pinnate leaves. Could it be a pinnate state of an otherwise simple-leaved plant, analogous to the pinnate forms of certain oftimes simple leaved
Dodonaea

Search for Dodonaea in

e and
Boronia

Search for Boronia in

e? I have enclosed a few things in the box for Dr Sonder, thinking as you have often occasion to send Harveys plants to our Hamburgian friend, these articles may go along with yours without much extra-trouble. I am obliged for the return of the Algae, Prof Harvey has named, and I have restored them to their respective owners.
I introduced the new Eucryphia as E. Moorei into the 4 vol. of the Fragmenta.
2
M described Eucryphia moorei in B63.09.01, p. 2.
Trusting that you are retaining that great blessing of unimpaired health, I remain, dear Sir William,
affectionately yours
Ferd. Mueller
Case No. 12
pr. "Anglesey." 8/6/63.
Acaciae aphyllae
fasc
1.
—armatae
—
1
—triangulares
—
1
—alatae
—
1
—cultriformis [&c]
—
1
—pungent[e]s capit[at]ae
—
3
—-spicatae
—
1
—acinacea & imbric
—
1
—brunioidae
—
1
—calamiformes
—
1
—aneura & affin
—
1
Total pr. Anglesey: fasc.13
Ferd. Mueller.
I believe, dear Sir William, that you have yet several of our Wardian Cases at Kew. Could you manage to cause them kindly to be refilled with any newer plants which you can spare. We will gladly pay the freight.