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Bibliothèque des Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques, Geneva. 78.10.24

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Ferdinand von Mueller to Alphonse de Candolle, 1878-10-24. 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/78-10-24>, accessed April 20, 2025

24/10/78.
These lines, honored and dear Sir, are adressed to you from my sickbed, on which I have been thrown for some weeks, but I am gradually recovering and hope to move about again in a few days. I do however not like that the European mail should pass, without expressing to you the gratification, which I felt, when I received the first volume of the "monographiae".
1
A. de Candolle & C. de Candolle (1878-96).
It seems, that I owe the early possession of this important volume to your own kindness, as it came direct from France, and thus I am doubly indebted to you for my best thanks. The copy ordered from Dulau's did not yet arrive.
2
See M to A. de Candolle, 11 October 1878.
I am glad, that the flora of the world, at least as far as
Phanerogamae

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are concerned, remains in the control of the family of D.C. as a well deserved inheritage; and if you are well supported with your illustrious son
3
Casimir de Candolle.
by the leading specialists, then of the vegetatio totius mundi phanerogama,
4
phanerogam vegetation of the whole world.
50 volumes might be elaborated by the end of the century, & there will be little to add (though much to rearrange perhaps after that). It would and ought not to be difficult to bring out two volumes a year, as the "monographiae" will be indispensible to all Libraries of importance and all workers of plants of any note and all botanic Gardens. So the issue of two volumes a year ought to be remunerative to the firm of Masson
5
Candolle's Parisian publisher, G. Masson.
also. It is not out of vanity, but because I have so far the best material & the most extended field-experience that I offered
6
See M to A. de Candolle, 5 June 1877.
to write the
Myrtaceae

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xerocarpicae for the Monographiae. I have since drawings prepared of many Eucalypts, lithograms of some of which I sent you; I have added many new Eucalypts and other Myrtaceous well marked spec. & have corrected many errors in vol. III of the Fl. Australiae
7
Bentham (1863-78), vol. 3.
from field observations . Of course the comparatively few Extra Austr. xerocarp. Myrtac. would need revision in Europe (after my notations) in which your illustrated
8
illustrious?
son might afford some help, without much sacrifice of time. Some other would need to be found for the baccate
Myrtaceae

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. There are some other almost exclusively Australian orders, for which I would have the best means to furnish the monographies e.g.
Stylideae

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(aut si mavelis:
9
or if preferred.
Candolleaceae

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),
Myoporinae

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(to which I have largely added in the later volumes of the fragmenta). Perhaps you might let me try the small family of
Myoporinae

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first, before the attempt regarding the
Myrtaceae

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was made. If I knew, which orders are under preparation for the second volume of the monographiae, I might send manuscript-contributions on the range of Australian species & some perhaps unpublished observations. Perhaps I might be allowed to point [out] to the learned M. Casimir D.C. that Beccari described recently in the publication of the Florence Museum a Flindersia (the occurrence of Flindersia in New Guinea having been pointed out by me first of all in the "Papuan plants"
10
B77.02.01, p. 84. Flindersia was treated in C. de Candolle (1878), pp. 728-35.
). I have added myself in the fragm. the Flind. Ifflaana since[.]
11
Flindersia iflaiana, B77.02.03, p. 94.
It was greatly pleasing me to see the genus
Hearnia

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represented by 8 additional species in insular Asia,
12
C. de Candolle (1878), pp. 628-32.
and doubtless others will be added from New Guinea &c, when once the jungle-forests there become explored. By this month's post I send you a specimen of
Hedraianthera

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, a genus which I have perhaps incautiously placed in
Meliaceae

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and which seems to have some affinity with
Celastrineae

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, though the fruit reminds of that of
Turraea

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. Bentham & Hooker place it into
Leucocarpon

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(
Denhamia

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) to which it not belongs. It must be admitted, that
Meliaceae

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are as nearly related to
Celastrineae

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as to
Sapindaceae

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. M. Casimir D.C. may find Hedrianthera interesting as giving a clue of the nature of the disk & staminal tube of
Meliaceae

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. The whole three Orders are excellently elaborated in this first volume. It is not likely, that much will be added either from South-Africa or Australia to
Restiaceae

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. I may however remark, that I have already 2 years ago indicated in the volume of the New Zealand Institute a new genus,
Sporadanthus

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, after I received the fruit of Lepyrodia? Traversii.
13
M published the name Sporodanthus but no formal description in B74.06.03; he had described L. traversi in B73.08.10, p. 79, commenting 'Planta femina mihi deest' [I am lacking female plants]. It was listed as a new genus by Buchanan (1875), p. 340; see P. Lange et al. (1999) for a discussion of the history of the taxon.
Are supplements to appear gradually of the Monographiae?
My few Cucurbitaceae have gone to Cogniaux, and the few
Pandaneae

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to Balfour.
14
Isaac Bayley Balfour, who was working on the group; see I. Balfour (1880).
I am most cheerfully anxious to send you museum-plants for the successive volumes, as they appear, if you & your son will be so kind to inform me of what orders will next appear. Prof. Radlkofer has received already specimens of all the
Sapindaceae

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, which I had to spare, and also General Munro has received samples of all my grasses. I can send the plants to Trübner & Co., who — I believe — are still your agents.
With regardful remembrance
Ferd. von Mueller