Document information

Physical location:

RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1858-70, ff. 172-3. 65.08.21

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to George Bentham, 1865-08-21. 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/65-08-21>, accessed April 19, 2025

21/8/65
Your letter of the 26 June, dear Mr Bentham, has reached me in due time.
1
Letter not found.
I am wondering and amazed, how you are able to carry so much work on within so short a time, even though I assume, that you have but little interruption. Here as Director of a very large Department with multifarious duties I have at all times but little leisure for descriptive Botany, and as my spirit is half broken I cannot muster courage to work regularly often through the evenings or on the whole Sundays as before. However to proceed to the special them[o]s of my letter. I send herewith the only specimen of an apparently new
Viscum

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I have just received,
2
Presumably
Viscum

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orientale; see Bentham (1863-78), vol. 3, p. 396.
assuming that you will include the
Loranthaceae

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in the 3. vol. How they can be regarded by any one monochlamydeous is an enigma to me and if the interpretation is given to the parts of
Viscum

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, which I employed in the manuscripts at Kew,
3
Manuscripts not found.
you will find that the genus well agrees with
Loranthus

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, in which the floral parts are receiving more readily their due value. The calyx of some Loranthi of Australia is especially manifest.
It seems Dr Hooker is acquainted with several genera, which ought to have been inserted in the 2 and 1. vol of the flor. Austr.
Bryophyllum

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I mentioned before.
4
M to G. Bentham, 24 December 1864.
If you refer to the list if Indo-Australian plants in the preface of the flor. Tasm, you will notice as mentioned:
Sandoricum Indicum

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,
Sandoricum nervosum

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,
Laguncularia coccinea

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(this genus is even noted by RBrown in the appendix to Flinders) — In Endlichers Atakta is a plate of
Anamirta Baueriana

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without letterpress.
5
J. Hooker (1865-60), pp. xlii-xlix; R. Brown (1814), p. 16; Endlicher (1833a), plates 39, 40.
It is not an Norfolk Island plant and therefore perhaps Australian; if so it is omitted
Mr Moore writes to me to day and desires, that in the publication of his plants from the Tweed the name of Mr W. Carron should be mentioned along with his own as that of the collector.
I was well aware that Smiths
Metrosideros floribunda

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is an
Angophora

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but his name,
Eugenia elliptica

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, would stand for
Acmena

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. I suppose you noted what I said on the subject in the fragmenta.
6
B64.02.01, pp. 58-9.
I fully agree with you, that the untenable genera, with which Berg has burdened the
Myrtaceae

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, should be abolished.
7
O. Berg (1857-9).
Great difficulty will arise in limiting the genera of
Compositae

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, which D.C. and others have far too much multiplied.
8
A. P. de Candolle (1836), A. P. de Candolle (1837) and A. P. de Candolle (1838).
The
Myrtus

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of the section
Rhodomyrtus

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sent by Hill I have forwarded to you as
Myrtus Cuttsiae

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.
9
Name not found; it was not cited as an herbarium name in Bentham (1863-78), vol. 3.
How
Rhodamnia

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&
Rhodomyrtus

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are to be kept up, without also admitting most of Bergs genera I cannot see.
Among baccate
Myrtaceae

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of Australia I admit after a careful examen of all the species here indigenous only
Myrtus

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and Eugenia. Artificial genera are a great plague & render the view over the members of an order very disturbed. I should be glad to have your opinion concerning
Eugenia Wilsoni

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.
10
M named
Eugenia Wilsoni

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i in B65.04.01, p. 2. Bentham (1863-78), vol. 3, p. 285 accepted it without comment.
I trust the supplemental
Myrtaceae

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sent to you will reach you before your printing of the 3 vol. begins. Would it not be well to give with this volume a good map of Australia? The one sent to Sir Will Hooker is nearly complete.
11
See M to G. Bentham, 24 June 1863.
There is also a beautiful map published lately by Prof. Petermann, on a small scale. It is most excellent & perhaps he would allow it to be copied, or furnish for a trifle the needful number of copies.
12
No map was included: see G. Bentham to M, 19 November 1865; G. Bentham to M, 19 April 1866 (in this edition as 66-04-19b); and M to G. Bentham, 24 January 1866 (in this edition as 66-01-24a).
The
Trichosanthes

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now transmitted seems new. It is all I have.
13
Probably
Trichosanthes

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hearnii, named, using M’s herbarium name, in Bentham (1863-78), vol. 3, p. 315.
Mr Hill has sent me one single seed of
Streptosia Hillii

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, which proves the genus very distinct from
Kennedya

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.
14
M's suggested name Streptosia was not used; Bentham recognised it as Strongyldon ruber, see G. Bentham to M, 18 October 1865.
I did not like to dissect this single seed & send it to you.
Trusting that you will enjoy good health in the prosecution of your labours I remain your
regardful
Ferd. Mueller
Mr Hill says that the pod of Streptosia is 2-or 3- seeded