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Physical location:

RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1858-70, ff. 128-33. 63.12.12

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to George Bentham, 1863-12-12. 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/63-12-12>, accessed April 19, 2025

Melbourne bot Garden
12/12/63
Dear Mr Bentham.
By the Sussex I have forwarded to you 2 Cases, containing 52 fascicles of Eucalypti; the whole of my collection of that genus. I have inserted all the novitiae and thus I think you will be able to use with facility this huge collection. No doubt you will perceive how variable many of the characters are, on which former definitions of the species of this genus were based. From some remarks in the preface of the Austral Flora you seem inclined to attribute to hybridism many of the forms, which obliterate so frequently the demarcations between formerly adopted species.
1
'Little as we know … of the influence of natural hybridizing in Europe, it has been still less, if ever, observed in Australia; and many other causes may have produced apparent passages between species really distinct.' (Bentham (1863-78), vol. 1, p. 17*).
In my reductions of species I have not been unmindful to the possibility of such blendings occurring, but where I reduced I do not think I was misled by hybrid productions. May this be as it may, I do think, that in Eucalyptus not likely hybrids arise, as impregnation takes place before the lapse of the operculum, and the latter is never bored by insects or birds. I believe that not more than about one hundred true species of Eucalypts exist in Australia, altho' we shall be obliged to keep up occasionally spurious species, until their legitimate place can be satisfactorily ascertained. After all it is the most difficult genus to elaborate for the descriptive work you have in hand; - and yet how vastly important is the study to us of these trees in a practical point of view. Had I been so fortunate to possess earlier the herbarium of the late Dr Steetz, which I purchased,
2
In 1863. See Short & Sinkora (1988).
it would have rendered my work amongst the
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in general easier & safer and indeed so in all the investigations of West Austral plants, because the collection of my late friend contains a very rich set of Preissian plants . I received this treasure only last week and was doubtful, whether I should send the Preissian
Leguminosae

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&
Myrtaceae

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at once also. I have retained them however for the present; for if you consult Sonders set, it will be an unnecessary risk to send Steetzs set also; if you however desire them they shall be forwarded to you also. As however the whole of the Steetzian herbarium will be incorporated, you will receive in future the Preissian & Sieberian
3
Steetz's herbarium contained Western Australian specimens collected by both Ludwig Preiss and Franz Wilhelm Sieber. See Short & Sinkora (1988); Ducker (1990).
specimens along with the rest. The Steetzian Collection advances my herbarium considerably in species & particularly in specimina As Steetz collected for more than 30 years he accumulated a good many valuable plants, to which he seems to have added many of Professor Lehmann's relics. The herbarium is extremely rich in Ecklun
4
Ecklon?
& Zeyhers plants , also in Moritzi's South American collections, Vahls arctic plants, Turczaninows Russian, Rochels plants of the Banat,
5
Former Austro-Hungarian crown land, straddling the borders of Romania, Hungary and Serbia (Stearn (1992), p. 211).
and many other important collections. Shorts North American &c. In all it contains 418 packages, so that my herbarium approaches now to 2000 fascicles. Should at any period readily some duplicates be available at Kew, I would be grateful to receive a share, as I am truly anxious to make my museum for all times valuable for references to the plants of any part of the Globe. Through Dr Hookers benignity I possess a good deal from India, but I am not well provided, at least not rich in plants from tropical America[,] and have hardly any from tropical Africa . My herbarium comprises now I think about 40000 species, i.e. in the conservative view I entertain of species, otherwise more than 50,000. In the boxes sent pr Sussex I have enclosed 10 sets
6
There is a question mark in the margin against 10 sets.
of the Transact of the Royal Society of Victoria for Messrs Williams & Norgate for Sale, and returned 13 copies of Harveys phycologia
7
Harvey (1858-63).
to Lovell Reeve. From the latter Gentleman I have within the last days through M Balliere received the 30 copies of the Austral. flora & handed them over to Government,
8
See M to J. McCulloch, 8 December 1863.
who will distribute them, and tender you for them their thanks. — I learnt some time since, that Dr Booth
9
Boott?
was very unwell. I trust this illness was transitory, but if he is not likely to work again on
Carex

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, which he elucidated so masterly,
10
Boott (1858-67).
perhaps you will kindly arrange, that the portion of my herbarium, comprising this genus &
Uncinia

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, may be returned, as I have sometimes occasion to refer to them.
11
The collection had been sent for Boott's use in April 1863; see M to W. Hooker, 29 April 1863 (in this edition as 63-04-29a).
In looking over my herbarium the other day for consulting
Mollugineae

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I missed the Australian fascicle & also
Sclerantheae

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. Perhaps you retained it with
Droseraceae

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; or perhaps I mislaid it. If you intend to transfer the
Mollugineae

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not to the vicinity of
Paronychieae

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&
Crassulaceae

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but to
Monochlamydeae

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, perhaps you may not want the plants for years & I could return them a second time. Would it not be best to follow Wight &c to reduce
Syzigium

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to
Eugenia

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?
Jambosa

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is certainly no genus nor
Acmena

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. Callistemon I have kept up but it flows entirely together through C. lanceolatus & M Leucadendron with Melaleuca.
12
See M to G. Bentham, 24 November 1863.
I have yet to send you two boxes with
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, which will be sent within the next week & then you will have all the plants of this important order. The whole comprises about 110 fascicles. — Case N. 19 pr Rusult
13
Result?
(which ship left on the 21. Nov) contained mainly
Myrtaceae

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. Case No. 18 pr. Norfolk the small orders required for finishing the second volume Will you be so kind to let me know at your earliest decision, what orders you desire in succession between
Myrtaceae

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&
Compositae

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. Did cases 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, & 17 arrive? The latter was shipped pr Monarch on the 7. Sept. —
I would certainly advise you to include the
Euphorbiaceae

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in the 3. vol. Many genera of that order are clearly petaliferous and even if out of the whole host one single genus only produced petals, it would in my opinion prevent it being arranged with the
Monochlamydeae

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. The wisest plan would be to distribute all
Monochlamydeae

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over the other divisions of
Dicotyledoneae

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, except the [Ju]liferae &
Coniferae

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& Cycadeae. All other orders of
Monochlamydeae

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have certain affinities to other dicotyledonous orders.
14
See Maroske (2006).
17/12/63
Since writing these lines I received your letter, dated Oct. 12. — I am not clearly understanding, which of my consignments arrived, except the Case No. 11. As these cases are currently numbered perhaps you would be so friendly to let me know what number of cases are now in your possession. I have here a small entrybook for the purpose
15
RB MSS M44, Notebook recording despatch of plants for Bentham for Flora australiensis, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.
& should think a similar book would prove useful in Kew to supervise the arrival & despatch of cases, as in the course of time more than 100 cases have to be sent. The two fascicles of
Carex

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&
Uncinia

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were sent to be submitted to Dr Booth
16
Boott?
for his examination. I mentioned this at the time to Sir William Hooker.
17
M to W. Hooker, 29 April 1863 (in this edition as 63-09-29a).
Since I have learnt, that Dr Booth is so ill as not likely to resume his important labours for some time. Should his convalescence become unfortunately long protracted perhaps it would be best to return the fascicles in the next box so that not for too long a time a chasm remains in that part of my collection, as they may occasionally be required for comparison.
18
Boott died on 25 December 1863. In his letter of 12 October 1863, Bentham asked whether the Cyperaceae had been sent by mistake. They were mislaid at Kew and did not return to Melbourne until October 1864; see M to W. Hooker, 24 May 1864; M to J. Hooker, 23 June 1864 (in this edition as 64-06-23) and 25 October 1864 (in this edition as 64-10-25a).
In regard to the
Polygalaceae

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&c, which got mildewed, I feel sure they were packed moist or damp, as it were the inner packages of the case which suffered. If they are kept perfectly dry and are in dry weather at once hermetically sealed up, nothing possibly can happen to them, if the tin smith does his work well. The parcels must have laid on the moist floor of some place, perhaps the tin smiths shop. I should not mind the damage so much, if the collection here was not a public one, for the safety of which I am responsible to the Government and Colonists. The rest of the
Myrtaceae

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will be sent to you by the Essex & next Clipper. I looked over Angophora to day. A. lanceoloata differs from A. intermedia in smooth laminar bark which [s]ecedes, also in larger flowers & fruits & some other less striking points not absolutely in the want of hispidity of the inflorescence, which occasionally also is quite smooth in A. intermedia. The latter sp. has a rough persistent bark and the difference between these two when seen in New South Wales became to me very apparent. Perhaps however A. subvelutina is only a variety of A. intermedia, a species not quite known to me in all its form when I described my new one.
I have carefully weighed all you say about the arrangement of the
Rutaceae

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, but must confess that you have not convinced me of the incorrectness of my view. However as genera are not like species created in nature the limits of the former will ever remain disputable.
19
See M to G. Bentham, 22 June 1863, and G. Bentham to M, 12 October 1863.
I am interested in your remarks about the relation of certain Bossiaeae to
Templetonia

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. I had never occasion to analyse the latter genus carefully and in its habit it is so unlike what you now added to it, that I did not suspect the affinity.
When recently examining again
Nematophyllum

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it appeared to me distinct as a genus, and its compound leaves render it further remarkable. In one of my last numbers of the fragmenta you will observe, that I reduced
Lalage ornata

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to Bossiaea as B. ornata. I added an allied species, which may only be a variety namely
Bossiaea lalagoides

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.
20
B63.09.01, p. 12.
That the plants pr Prince of Wales reached me in safety I mentioned before.
21
See M to G. Bentham, 10 September 1863 and subsequent letters.
If
Leguminosae

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& the small orders amount to 1000 species, I should think that ought to be quite sufficient for vol II, as there
are considerable supplements. If you prefer to retain the supplements for the end of the whole work I would advise not to adopt the small orders for vol II, but to take in all the
Myrtaceae

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. Then two large orders would be kept together in one volume, a fact that is so readily born in mind, and the third volume would take the rest of the Calyciflorae. To distribute the
Myrtaceae

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over two volumes would be a very great pity.
22
No
Myrtaceae

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were included in vol. 2 of Flora australiensis; the
Myrtaceae

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occupy the first 288 pages of vol. 3.
Compositae

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will fill at least half a volume, as the genera are so numerous.
23
Compositae

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occupy the last 233 pages of vol. 3.
If
Euphorbiaceae

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are brought into Calyciflorae, which seems to me certainly their most appropriate position, then perhaps it will require a fourth volume for the monopetalous Calyciflorae, including
Stylideae

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&
Goodeniaceae

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, orders now rich, as I have added fully [40] well marked species to the latter order myself
24
IPNI (accessed 2 July 2020) lists 53 species named by M in
Goodeniaceae

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up to and including 1863.
You will be aware that I reduce
Fabricia

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to Leptospermum. The capsule varies with from 5 to 9
25
4-10! interlined, apparently by M, above 5 to 9.
cells; and the winged seeds are not of generic character in other xerocarpic Myrtaceous genera. I shall at last have Turczaninows paper on
Myrtaceae

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xerocarpicae
26
Turczaninow (1847).
and fear I have unconscious of the existence of the essay redescribed some Western ones.
The Bossiaeas are very variable. I adscribe the differences of the alpine form of B. Scolopendria entirely to the situation of the plant. I asked for specimens of
Eremosyne

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recently;
27
M to G. Bentham, 10 September 1863 (in this edition as 63-09-10b), and M to G. Bentham, 24 September 1863.
but I have now some in Preiss collection.
You mentioned some time since that Cunningham's collection contained 200 fascicles. Does that include the New Zealand species? I received recently the first specimens of
Lamarchea hakeifolia

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Gaudich from Shark Bay. The genus must be upheld, as it differs from
Calothamnus

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in versatile anthers and monadelphous stamens. The seeds are wingless.
Melaleuca Leucadendron

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attains some times a hight of more than 100' & a diameter of stem of 5'!
28
The paragraph is marked with a cross in the margin. Bentham describes M. leucadendron as 'a tree attaining a considerable size' (Bentham (1863-78), vol. 3, p. 142), but does not specify the source of this information.
Trusting that you will also in future with a generous spirit deal with my observations & writings I remain your obedient
Ferd Mueller
Should you not adopt supplements now, pray let me then meanwhile have back the supplemental fascicles.
29
The note is marked with a cross.
24/12/63.
Since writing the above pages we have had to sustain a tremendous flood, which caused enormous devastations in the lower part of the Garden, alone more than £1000 value of fences are swept away.
30
Argus, 17 December 1863, p. 5, and 24 December 1863, p. 5.
This calamity has disarranged my plans for the moment and hence it will be probably only in the beginning of January before I send off the rest of the
Leguminosae

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. This will give me some leisure hours for weighing carefully the character of the genus
Baeckea

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, to which many of Schauers genera must be returned.
31
See B64.02.01.
I have some more pages of
Myrtaceae

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under the press, but they will not appear before the departure of this mail.
The reductions in the sp of Leptospermum is to be enormous, if we want to give to the species well settled limits. The glabrous or hairy fruits are no characters. Dr Hookers synonymy of the genus is not quite correct.
32
See J. Hooker (1860), vol. 1, p. 138.
Would it not be best to substitute for Leptosp. flavescens the name of L. polygalifolium, in as much as the trivial name misleads, the petals being in no way whatever flavescent except like in other species when badly dried. They are quite white when fresh. I see no tangible differences between L. scoparium & L. juniperinum, nor between L. lanigerum & L. grandifolium, nor between L. flavescens & L. grandiflor[um] &c &c &c
Could
Gleichenia dicarpa

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not be naturalized in English moors? It sustains the ice of our alps where I have seen it 6000' high.
I shall review, if I find time,
Kunzea

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to ascertain its exact difference from Leptospermum, as Schauer did not know some of the transient forms.
33
MS annotation by Bentham: '[Ox] elachophyllum'. See G. Bentham to M, 25 February 1864 (in this edition as 64-02-25a).
Case No. 21
34
The list comprises both sides of f. 134. It may have been sent separately, or with this letter, or perhaps enclosed with M to W. Hooker, 10 December 1863 before that letter was closed.
pr Sussex
12/12/63
Eucalyptus —
fasc.
E. goniocalyx
1
E. Woollsii
1
E. Stellulata &c
1
E. Globulus
1
E. terminalis & affin.
1
E. obliqua
1
E. W. Austr partim
2
E. tereticornis
1
E. rostrata
1
E. Leucoxylon
1
E. dumosa E. A.
1
E. dumosa W. A
2
E. macul, vernicifl, coccif
35
maculata, vernicosa?, coccifera. 'vernicifl' may have been an abbreviation for an herbarium name only; Bentham did not synonymise E. verniciflora or any similar name.
1
E. populif, polyanth, p[ulver]. &c
36
populifolia, polyanthemos, pulverulenta.
1
E. alpina & E. Preissii
1
E. [cor]iacea & elaeophora
1
E. corymbosa
1
E. Gunnii
1
E. viminalis
1
E. Leichh. Collect.
4
Calyciflor suppl.
1
Myrtaceae

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suppl
1
27
Case No. 20
pr Sussex .
12/12/63
Eucalyptus —
fasc
E. Cornuta & affinis
3
E. fructi[l]. maxim. W.A.
1
E. acervula
1
E. persicifolia & affin
3
E. botryoides & affin
2
E. gracilis
1
E. haemastoma
1
E. fruticetorum
1
E. amygdalina
1
E. foliis discolor W.A.
37
Presumably specimens without flowers or fruit.
1
E. odorata
1
E. tetraptera & erythroca.
38
erythrocalyx.
1
E. tropic. angustifol
39
angustifolia.
1
E. W. Austr suppl. —
2
E. E Austr suppl. —
1
E. latifoliae tropic —
1
E. uncinata
1
E. Eudesmia
40
eudesmoides?
1
E. urnig.
41
urnigera.
& coryno[cor]
42
corynocalyx?
1
E. obliqua & affin.
1
E. microthec
43
microtheca.
& affin
1
Total —
27
In the same box a set of Siebers Eucalypti, which are to be returned to Dr Sonder and 10 sets of the transact of the R. S of Victoria for Messers Williams & Norgate
44
Booksellers of London.
In this box are also 5 parcels with books for Mr Lovell Reeve.
Ferd. Mueller
45
The last paragraph and the valediction written opposite Case No. 20, on the back of f. 134 as bound in the guard book.