The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: 12/12/81. ¶ ¶ Mr Bentham and yourself, dear Sir Joseph, have given the world such a magnificent work on plant genera, ¶ that it is the duty of any one to help by adding a stone to such a grand struc...

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Physical location:

RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1871-81, ff. 343-4. 81.12.12

Plant names

Athecia
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Corchorus
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- Australian Plant Name Index
Nettoa
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- Australian Plant Name Index

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Joseph Hooker, 1881-12-12. 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/81-12-12>, accessed April 20, 2025

12/12/81.

Mr Bentham and yourself, dear Sir Joseph, have given the world such a magnificent work on plant genera,

Bentham & Hooker (1862-83).

that it is the duty of any one to help by adding a stone to such a grand structure. From Professor Pfeffer's letter

W. Pfeffer to M, 26 October 1881.

you will observe, that the chance exists of clearing up, after nearly 100 years, what Gaertner's genus may be.

See M to W. Thiselton-Dyer, 10 September 1881 and annotations to the letter.

I think it is rubiaceous from his figure and description, and as it would need only one letter to Prof. Pfeffer, to get the loan of the two fruits (one dissected) out of Gaertner's collection, you would perhaps ask him for the loan and settle this genus, as it must interest you particularly if [rubiaceous]

Word partially obscured by binding.

genus … may be is marked with a line in the margin. Annotated at the top of the sheet: Very probably a Scaevola but if we had the fruit [stalk] it would give [much] more information than the figure does. There is an additional marginal annotation: p. 141 Forstera in lc 28 f 6.' [See J. Gaertner (1788-91), vol. 1, p. 141 and t. 28, fig. 6.]

You will notice from Dr Pfeffer's letter that he is willing to send me the two little fruits on loan; — but it would be far preferable, that they should go to you .

Pfeffer was asked for the loan: see annotations to W. Pfeffer to M, 26 October 1881.

A few days ago, when looking on some letters of your fathers, which I selected for the collection of a great collection of auto-grams of a distinguished Lady in Italy,

Maria Negri.

to whom I sent many specimen letters of celebrated men, I felt deeply touched, and wished that it had been my privilege at least once to meet Sir William. His letters, full of the kindest words and full of interest as regards my garden, impressed me now all the more deeply, and I felt, wandering back to years long since passed, "as if I was quite young once more, and my locks were not yet grey!"

Possibly a misquotation of N. Willis, Saturday Afternoon (before 1835: see The Colonist (Sydney), 17 September 1835, p. 7), collected in N. Willis (1891), p. 86:

I love to look on a scene like this,

Of wild and careless play,

And persuade myself that I am not old,

And my locks are not yet grey.

Regardfully ever

your

Ferd. von Mueller

Is not near ?

This sentence is marked with a line, and an X in each margin.

is characterized in Bentham & Hooker (1862-83) vol. 1, part 1, p. 235; and in the 'Addenda et corrigenda', vol 1, part 3, p 986.

Is its ovary really unilocular?

Mr Gregory,

Augustus Gregory was in Melbourne attending the celebrations for the opening of a new railway line to Mordialloc (Argus, 20 December 1881, p. 4).

whose companion under "arms" I was for 17 months in tropical Australia

North Australian Exploring Expedition, 1855-6.

stepped a few days ago suddenly into my room after 23 years!

I never saw him since his search for Leichhardt in 1858!