Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M4, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 63.08.15

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

George Bentham to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1863-08-15. 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/63-08-15>, accessed April 19, 2025

Barmouth
Augt 15 /63
My dear Sir
Being absent from London for a couple of months I did not receive your last till after the July mail had left. I safely received the enclosed £10 to pay for the half dozen copies of Genera Plantarum
1
Bentham & Hooker (1862-83), vol. 1, part 1.
sent in the boxes pr "Prince of Wales" — and for the three copies of Flora Australiensis
2
Bentham (1863-78), vol. 1.
which I have sent as you desired in your name to Profs Rafn, Lange and Forchhammer of Copenhagen — there will be a balance over — the exact amount I cannot tell till I get to town — which I will keep to your account.
As to the copy to be bound for the late Prince Consort's Library
3
See M to G. Bentham, 13 May 1863.
I shall do nothing till I come to town and can make enquiries. It was all very well whilst the Prince lived as he took an interest in science — and might have appreciated the compliment — but now there is no one about the Court who cares at all for such subjects — the book would be quite wasted — not unlikely become somebody's perquisite — and I certainly should not care to join in any such useless present. I have given copies to those who have assisted me as well as to De Candolle and A. Gray to whom I give everything I publish — but a dozen copies I purchased of Reeve have been enough for all these purposes
I have received the £50 each from N. S. Wales and S. Australia and that from Queensland is to come next mail and have paid Reeve for the 100 copies at full price I agreed to take for the Australian Governments — to whom I send 15 copies for every £50 subscribed. You will I hope have safely received the 30 which I sent to your care for the Victorian Government (through Baillière I think Reeve sent them) as I mentioned in my last.
4
See G. Bentham to M, 24 June 1863 (in this edition as 63-06-24a). The transmission was probably to Ferdinand Baillière in Melbourne, through his father Hippolyte Baillière in London.
I shall refer to your observations on Acacia,
5
See M to G. Bentham, 23 July 1863.
when I come to the genus
I was perfectly aware that Drummond's plants were gathered over an extensive tract of country — from Cape Riche to Murchison River and therefore have only given them as West Australian when I had no more special indication — but his first unnumbered collection which was very rich and passed altogether through my hands before distribution — as well as the first numbered collection which was said to have been made up by him in Australia out of corresponding specimens — were all said to come from sufficiently near to Swan river to go under that general description — most of them were also gathered by Preiss in the vicinity of Swan River and Darby range — Drummond's 2d & 3d collections appear to have been from various stations some north some south some perhaps a considerable way to the east the 4th and 5th chiefly from the southern districts King George's Sound to Cape Riche and beyond — the 6th collection was sent with the general designation "Between Moore and Murchison Rivers" There is however so much confusion in these distributed collections that I should not have quoted the numbers had it not been that they have got into so many hands who will be glad of any assistance in naming them.
Before leaving town I finished (as far as I can till I receive yours) the
Podalyrieae

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(excepting some writing out and drawing up which I have with me means of doing during my holiday and which I have now far advanced) Although I have found reason to reduce many of my own species as well as several of Meisner's and Turczaninow's I cannot make less than about 340 which I distribute as follows
Jansonia

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1 sp.
6
The numbers of species given in this list do not always coincide with the numbers published in Bentham (1863-78), vol. 1.
Brachysema

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— capitally characterised by the small vexillum — 14 species including
Leptosema

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Bth
Kaleniczenkia

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Turcz. and
Burgesia

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F. Muell.
Oxylobium 26 sp. including Callistachys Vent and Podolobium R. Br. — I think that O. arborescens and your O. alpestre
7
M's species was retained as distinct in Bentham (1863-78), vol. 1, p. 17.
must go into O. ellipticum —
Callistachys lanceolata

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, C. ovata and C. longifolia Paxt all form one species O. callistachys — C. linearis and C. parviflora unite into O. lineare. Your O. procumbens is a good sp. — Several Swan river sp. go into O. capitatum and O. cuneatum which are very near together —
Chorizema 14 sp. including
Orthotropis

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. This genus differs from Oxylobium in habit and in the corina usually small — I think it must be kept up — I have made many reductions in the Western species — and
Dichosema racemosum

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Meisn. probably belongs to it.
Mirbelia 15 sp. including Dichosema — this genus closely allied to Oxylobium Chorizema and Gastrolobium differs constantly (perhaps too artificially) in the divided ovary and pod. Your M. aotoides is a remarkable sp —
Chorizema Baueri

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Bth (not Meisn) is the same as M. pungens A. Cunn. —
Daviesia ramulosa

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Bth or
Chorizema daviesioides

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Meisn is
Mirbelia daviesioides

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— perhaps the leafless one you mention.
8
See M to G. Bentham, 13 May 1863.
Isotropis 5 sp. — I. striata includes I. biloba and
Callistachys cuneifolia

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Sm. but think I. drummondi Meisn a good sp. — I. juncea Turcz I. filicaulis and I. parviflora are quite distinct in the leaflet articulate on the petiole
Gompholobium 23 sp. One of the most marked genera by the long funicles all curved or folded downwards and several other characters — there are simple leaved as well as digitate and pinnate species — The synonymy of Smith's species has been sadly mistaken — G. polymorphum Br. includes G. grandiflorum Andr. non Sm, G. pedunculare DC. G. venulosum Lindl G. tenue Lindl & G. versicolor Lindl. — G. latifolium Sm (non Labill) or G. fimbriatum Sm. includes G. barbigerum DC. — G. Huegelii Bth includes G. latifolium Labill et Auct plur non Sm. — G. virgatum Sm. includes G. aspalathoides A. Cun. — G. minus Sm. (
Burtonia minor

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DC) includes G. tetrathecoides Sieb. G. grandiflorum Sm. includes G. glaucescens A. Cunn.
Burtonia 7 species — closely allied to Gompholobium and has similar curious long thick funicles — but only 2, one curved or folded upwards , the other downwards and the style is more dilated at the base like Gompholobium it has simple, digitate & pinnate-leaved species B. subulata includes
Gompholobium subulatum

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Benth & G. stenophyllum F. Muell. — B. foliolosa (G. foliolosum Bth) — B. polyzyga (G. polyzgum F. Muell) — B. Hendersonii (G. Hendersonii Paxt.) — B. scabra includes B. sessilifolia DC. and B. pulchella Meisn.
Jacksonia 28 sp. — distinguished from all except Gompholobium and Burtonia by the valvate calyx and from those two by a variety of characters — it must include
Piptomeris

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Turcz notwithstanding its 4 to 6 ovules Besides many corrections and reductions in Western species the common J. scoparia (which is also in Drummonds Murchison river coll.) includes J. macrocarpa Bth. And J. cupulifera Meisn.
Sphaerolobium 12 sp. including Roea — but I think S (R) linophyllum and S. (R. nudiflorum) quite distinct
9
Roea linophylla and R. nudiflora.
—
Euchilus linearis

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Bth forms a 3d sect of Sphaerolobium and I have made several corrections in the synonymy of the western species. The true S. medium Br. is the one I described as acuminatum.
Viminaria

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1 sp.
Daviesia 52 sp. — the characters of this and the two preceeding genera very marked — I have reduced several Western species and have several unpublished ones both Eastern (R Brown &c) and Western — One from the southern districts of N. S. Wales and also from Avon ranges F. Mueller is as yet unpublished as far as I can see I call it temporarily D. buxifolia — but shall publish it under whatever name (if unoccupied) I find in your herb. when I get it
10
Bentham used the name D. buxifolia in Bentham (1863-78), vol. 2, p. 76. M's specimens at Kew were sent as Daviesia cordifolia (K000846618) and Daviesia latifolia var cordifolia (K000846624, K000846617); M did not publish either name.
D. corymbosa Sm. includes D. mimosoides Br. and D. vergata
11
D. virgata?
A. Cunn. — D. umbellulata Sm. (non Hook fil &c) includes D. racemulosa DC. and D. pubigera A. Cunn. — D. squarrosa Sm includes D. villifera A. Cunn. — D. ulicina Sm. includes D. umbellata Labill, D. umbellulata Hook f. non Sm., and D. ruscifolia A. Cunn. — D. genistifolia A. Cunn includes D. colletioides A. Cunn non Meisn (the latter a distinct Western sp. — D. pectinata Lindl. includes D. decurrens and D. prionoides Meisn. — the Victorian D. brevifolia as well as the last extends to W. Australia.
Aotus 9 sp. Differs from Pultenaea in the absence of strophiole and bracteoles (and except in 1 sp.) of stipules A. villosa Sm. includes A. virgata DC. A ericoides G. Don A. gracillima and A. intermedia Meisn etc. — A. mollis and A. lanigera are I think both good — the remainder are Western
Phyllota 5 sp. Like Aotus has no strophiole or stipules but has bracteoles — and is remarkable for all or at least 5 of the stamens more or less adnate to the petals at the base and often all connate in a ray P. phylicoides includes P. pilosa, P. aspera, P. comosa, P. grandiflora P. squarrosa and P. Baueri Bth. — the other 4 are western
Gastrolobium 29 sp. — Closely connecting Oxylobium with Pultenaea — only differs from the strophiolate sp. of the former in having only 2 ovules — and from Pultenaea in habit and in the bracteoles very deciduous or sometimes none. The species are all Western and include Eutaxia reticulata Meisn (E. punctata Turcz) and
Oxylobium batillum

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Hook — G. cordatum Bth is
Oxylobium spectabile

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Endl — G. retusum Lindl. is
Oxylobium retusum

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Br. var. — G. axillare Meisn is
Oxylobium reticulatum

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Meisn var. — G. acutum Bth is
Oxylobium acutum

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Pultenaea 72 sp. including Spadostylis
12
Spadostyles?
Bth Euchilus R Br. and
Urodon

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Turcz — Strophiole & Bracteoles always persistent stipules rarely wanting — P. daphnoides Sm includes P. obcordata Andr. P. stricta Sm includes P. capitellata DC. — P. Gunnii Bth includes P. baekeoides A. Cunn. — P. scabra R Br. includes P. montana Lindl. P. biloba R Br and P. cuneata Bth. — P. microphylla Sieb includes P. uncinata A. Cunn. — P. pedunculata Hook includes P. diemenica Turcz — I think P. diffusa Hook f. more likely to be a Pultenaea than a Phyllota, the stamens are quite free —
Euchilus purpureus

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Turcz may be a Pultenaea — P. (Daviesia Sm. Jacksonia DC) reticulata includes P. aciphylla Bth. —
Euchilus calycinus

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Turcz E. obcordatus R Br. and E. rotundifolius Turcz all go into Pultenaea — retaining I believe their respective specific names —
Pultenaea ternata

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F. Muell (P verticellata R Br. Herb) includes
Spadostylis Cunninghamii

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Bth.
Gastrolobium Huegelii

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Henfr and
Aotus cordifolius

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Lindl & Paxt non Benth. — P. cuspidata
13
Euchilus cuspidatus?
F. Muell includes
Oxylobium spinosum

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DC —
Euchilus spinulosus

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Turcz goes into Pultenaea keeping its specific name — P. epacridea F. Muell is a good sp.
14
In Bentham (1863-78), vol 2., p. 123, P. epacridea is treated as a synonym of P. styphelioides.
— and I have one near it from the Murrumbidgee McArthur — which if not otherwise named in your herb. I shall call P. Macarthurii
15
Bentham (1863-78), vol. 2, does not include Pultenaea Macarthurii. The specimens concerned have not been identified.
— P. procumbens A. Cunn includes P. setigera A. Cunn. — P. villosa Willd includes P. ferruginea Rudge — P. euchila DC. includes
Spadostylis Sieberi

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Bth. — P. elliptica Sm includes P. hypolampra Sieb and P. thymifolia Sieb. One from Mt William
16
Vic.
F. Muell and from some S. districts of N S Wales is I think new allied to P. elliptica and P. villifera — P. largiflorens F. Muell is I think a good sp. P. dentata Labill includes P. argentea A. Cunn. and P. pimeleoides Hook. f. — Both
Urodon

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s of Turczaninow belong to one sp. P. urodon. — P. plumosa Sieb includes P. canescens A. Cunn. — P. juniperina Labill includes P. cordata Hook. — I have reduced several western species and have several new ones eastern or western from R. Br. and others
Latrobea

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5 sp. including Leptocytisus is very near Aotus and Pultenaea — differs from the former in the strophiolate seeds — and from Pultenaea either in the absence of stipules or of bracts or in the very flat pod or in various little rather uncertain characters The calyx is usually much more regular &c. — Besides Meisners 2
Latrobea

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s his Leptocytisus and Turczaninow’s L. hirtellus this must include also
Burtonia diosmifolia

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Bth which connects the genus with
Pultenaea subumbellata

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— It has nothing to do with Burtonia
Eutaxia R.Br. 9 sp. including
Sclerothamnus

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is very near Pultenaea, but the decussate opposite leaves give it a peculiar habit and the bracteoles are distant from the calyx E. empetrifolia Schlecht includes
Sclerothamnus

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microphyllus R. Br. and extends to W. Australia (from specimens of Baxters) — the other species are all Western.
Dillwynia

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12 sp? — this genus I have not finished It is very near Pultenaea —
Eutaxia divaricata

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and uncinata Meisn
17
Eutaxia uncinata

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was described by Turczaninow, not Meissner.
and
Aotus dillwynioides

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Meisn belong to it
Latrobea

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Eutaxia
Dillwynia

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and about 2/3ds of Pultenaea have the upper side of the leaf concave or light coloured or the margins involute (or when the leaf is terete channelled above ) The remaining Pultenaeas are flat or folded lengthwise with the underside paler or the margin revolute (or when terete chanelled underneath ) — There are many minor points leading to the distinction of genera too long to mention here.
Of almost all the species described I have soaked and dissected several — sometimes many flowers taken from as different-looking specimens as I could select
Strophioles are a difficult character to examine and they grow so much when the seed is nearly ripe as often to lead into error — they are however more constant in size and shape in
Leguminosae

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than in
Dilleniaceae

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for instance where the change from a full grown nearly ripe seed to a well ripened seed often appeared to be very considerable.
I shall be anxious to hear of the safe arrival of the plants returned per "Prince of Wales" — those you sent per "Great Britain" are I understand safe at Kew.
I shall not write by the Sept. mail unless there is anything very particular to say as I shall scarcely be back in town till after the mail has left
Yours very sincerely
George Bentham
Dr F. Mueller
Pray do not address me as "Mr President ” Bentham for that is not the custom in this country however it may be in Germany
18
No letter with this salutation has been found; it may have been used on envelopes. M used the phrase in talking about Bentham, for example, in M to J. O'Shanassy, 29 April 1863.