Document information

Physical location:

RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1858-70, ff. 107-9. 63.06.24

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to George Bentham, 1863-06-24. 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/63-06-24>, accessed April 19, 2025

24/6/63
My dear Mr Bentham.
I have the pleasure of apprizing you of the intended shipment of more Acaciae, pr Roxburgh Castle, which ship is to sail almost immediately. You will receive all Leichhardts Acaciae, with which I have done nothing, as they bear not on the flora of Victoria, altho' they will add to your lists of localities. Then you will find in the case several parcels of "uninerves". I find the difficulty of limiting the species not insignificant, altho' it not for a moment affects my ideas of stability of species, but only proves to me that we have often mistaken varieties for specific forms. — A. salicina grows evidently all over the continent and I have it clearly recognized from various localities. It will be now for you to ascertain under what name this species figures as one from W. Australia. A. falciformis I cannot distinguish from A. penninervis and there are certain forms of A. pycnantha, which even in their carpological characters touch upon varieties of A. penninervis with narrow pods. All species of wide range are variable, this must guide us in arriving at just conclusion[s] about the limits of species. Two Sprengelian species, A. arceuthos & A. pungens if not more are not quoted by you in your admirable memoir on Acaciae in Hookers journal.
1
Bentham (1842).
Schlechtendal in Halle no doubt could on application to him send you original specimina, without which of course Sprengels diagnoses could not well be understood. Judging alone by the short pr[o]s[e]s I should place both with juniperina. A. sulcata is omitted by Dr Hooker in the Tasmanian flora,
2
J. Hooker (1860), vol. 1.
to which according to RBr habitat (King Island) it belongs. I shall shortly have a good opportunity of obtaining specimina of all plants of Kings Island, which is a dependency of Tasmania, altho even more accessible to Victoria. A. Muelleri must certainly be brought to the Uninerves; for in A. suaveolens we have forms with quite as sharply edged branchlets. I am not certain, whether I have been accurate enough in discriminating always between the true strophiole & the thickened and usually differently coloured portion of the funicle. You will see a good many useful carpological specimens with my plants, which support best of all the work of establishing diagnoses, that will stand the field-tests
In the case are also several parcels with miscellaneous Victorian plants collected by the Rev. Will Whan at Skipton & destined for his friend Prof. Dr Dickie of Aberd[een]. I have named them all and retained of the few useful to us specimens. Would you be so friendly to send the parcels on to their destination?
By the "Anglesey" 2 weeks ago I forwarded a case with Acaciae of the first sections of the genus. In the letter sent to Sir Will. Hooker by the same ship
3
M to W. Hooker, 16 June 1863.
I expressed my grief, that many of the specimens in the two boxes sent pr Roxburgh Castle back to me had become so damp, as to be quite covered by an aeruginous film of fungi, and the impression is left on my mind, as the cases seemed pretty well secured, that the moisture, which caused this damage to the plant[s], was attracted in a humid locality prior to the despatch of the cases & their being closed up. Could the fascicles have been lying at the wet winter season on the ground of a room or in an unheated or damp store?
Many of the specimens had to be dipped in oil of Turpentine for being cleaned again, altho' that did, as can be imagined not restore the color. As you incur some little responsibility in regard to this loan of a collection, which is property not of myself but of the state, you will pardon me, dear Mr Bentham, when I solicit your strict surveillance for my pets, many of which I have had so much difficulty when moving about in Australia to conserve. Please do not mind the expense of new boxes, if the old ones cannot be made tight, also be so good to order in the packing stiff brown paper folded up to be placed between the fascicles, so as to prevent too strong a pressure, by which the paper gets so much damaged. In my beautifull Museum-Repositories I have shelves for each 2 or 3 parcels, hence I can keep the paper nicely and see great difference after they had to endure the pressure of going in heavy strata to Europe. Of the draft, forwarded by last mail, the secund[a] is send now (£10)
I sent the amount to solicit from you, to present a well-bound copy of the Flora Austr. vol. I to the Library of the Prince of Wales, his illustrious father having received former writings, with which I was connected, so kindly. I begged of you also to send a copy to Dr Lange, Professor at Copenhagen and one to Prof Conferenzraf Rafn and one to the Royal Library there, as I am desirous to maintain my communication with my second father land, Denmark. I am moreover under manyfold obligations to Rafn, and altho' you are the author of the work, my countrymen will be pleased to see me amanuensis of so venerable a celebrity as yourself. If the sum is sufficient Decaisne & Brogniart
4
i.e. A. Brongniart.
might receive also copies; but perhaps you do send them yourself.
The most interesting plant recently passed into my hands, is
Eucryphia Moorei

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, with which the 4th vol of my fragmengta is beginning.
5
M described Eucryphia moorei in B63.09.01, p. 2.
It is in every way alike to E. Billardierii,
6
E. billardieri?
but has pinnate leaves. Should it prove only a pinnate state of
Eucryphia Billardierii

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analagous to the pinnate forms of
Boronia

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&
Dodonaea

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? If even so, it will be highly interesting in a morphological point of view and as exhibiting this beautiful genus for the first time in New South Wales, Mr C. Moore of Sydney having discovered it on the Clyde River. I have sent now to Sir William the most complete map of Australia from our Survey Office & will keep you always properly supplied (si fata velint
7
if the fates are willing.
) with geographical material. The seed parcels plunged into the box pr Anglesey for Hortic. Society & Balfour, I have no doubt you will kindly forward. - Some sheets of the Vict Flora, vol. II I hope will be out in time to be sent by this mail.
8
This sentence is marked in the margin with a cross. The projected second volume was never completed; see B63.13.06. The first five sheets were sent to Kew, the fifth in July; see M to G. Bentham, 23 July 1863.
Ever gratefully
and regardfully yours
Ferd Mueller
9
The following text, filed as f. 3, is placed here on the basis that the damage suffered to plants returned in the Roxborough Castle discussed generally above did not become evident until early June (M to W. Hooker, 8 June 1863; f. 3 details the groups that were damaged).
The following are the plants, which were returned damaged (by damp) pr Roxburgh Castle.
Much damaged
Polygaleae

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2 Parcels
Malpighiaceae

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1—
More or less damaged.
Ranunculaceae

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suppl
1 parcel
Elaeocarpeae

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2 parcels
Frankeniaceae

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1 —
Anonaceae

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suppl
1 —
Papaveraceae

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—
1 —
Sterculiaceae

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—
1 —
Caryophylleae

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—
1 —
We have had a change of ministry. This will delay the transmission of our second £100 at least for one mail.
10
John O'Shanassy resigned on 22 June 1863 and James McCulloch announced on 23 June that he had been commissioned by the Governor to form a government; this took office on 27 June 1863, in a ministry that was in power until 6 May 1868.