Document information

Physical location:

RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1858-70, f. 441. 70.07.13

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Joseph Hooker, 1870-07-13. 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/70-07-13>, accessed September 11, 2025

13/7/70
As an experiment, dear Dr Hooker, I beg to send you by this mail some roots of
Arthropodium strictum

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Br. (2) (A laxum Sieber),
Burchardia umbellata

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, (4)
Caesia corymbosa

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, (6) and
Anguillaria dioica

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, (or better
Wurmbea dioica

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) (6). The later plant is our earliest harbinger of the spring and now thus already in flowers. The others are only in leaf,
1
There is a vertical line in the left margin against the passage (A. laxum ... in leaf’.
and it may be, that they will be so retarded in their growth by being taken out of the ground, as to push only flower stems after they are repotted. In your Flora Tasmanica
2
J. Hooker (1860).
is no mention made, that these plants are at Kew cultivated, nor are any plates occurring in the Bot. Magazine. Thus I hope to bring these lovely plants to horticultural honor. If your stay in Tasmania fell into the spring months you must have admired the charm of these plants, when gregariously seen over all the meadows during the spring days.
3
Joseph Hooker was in Tasmania twice, once in spring, 16 August-12 November 1840, and once in autumn, 6 April-7 July 1841.
I believe they will all be hardy in the milder parts of Britain, particularly Burchardia & Wurmbea, which luxuriate at our Glacier regions.
With my best wishes
Ferd. von Mueller