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Bibliothèque des Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques, Geneva. 82.04.09

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Alphonse de Candolle, 1882-04-09. 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/82-04-09>, accessed April 20, 2025

Easter 1882.
1
In 1882, Easter fell on 9 April.
A question of some interest has arisen, dear and honored Sir regarding which through your illustrious parent's cooperation with Lamarck you probably can give the best information. It concerns the priority of the genus
Vahea

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. In my "select plants" (Calcutta-Edition and Sydney-Edition)
2
B80.13.07, B81.01.04.
I reduced
Landolphia

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to
Vahea

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, also in my extended English Edition of Wittsteins organic constitution of plants.
3
Wittstein (1878), i.e. 78.06.09.
Mr Dyer has written to me,
4
Letter not found.
that he prefers to merge
Vahea

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into
Landolphia

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for his new publication on Caoutchoucs. We have discussed the question in several letters,
5
See M to W. Thiselton-Dyer, 10 September 1881.
but to settle it, the necessity arises to trace out, whether the plate of
Vahea

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, as quoted by yourself in the prodromus
6
A. de Candolle (1844).
(VIII, 327) did appear in a distinct livraison with a distinct date ; in such a case, according to your code of nomenclature, the plate of the "illustration" would be of full authority , though the publication of the same plate in the "Dictionnaire" had to stand over til 1817. I possess the latter work, but not the "illustration".
7
Lamarck (1791-1823).
— That Lamarck's plate was engraved long before Palisot had his plate done, is clear enough, and morally speaking there can be no doubt about the priority of
Vahea

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, but, as assumed by B. & H. in their genera, legally
Landolphia

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may perhaps claim primogeniture, simply because it may have been the first to appear in full dress before the world.
8
Bentham & Hooker (1862-83), vol. 2, pp. 692-3. Lamarck's illustration of
Vahea

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was published in 1792, well before Palisot de Beauvois published
Landolphia

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in 1805. It would appear that de Candolle sent M such information as he had, because on the relevant page of the MEL copy of the Prodromus, M has written 'p. 292 (1793)'.
It would be well if the actual dates of issue of the second vol. of the "illustration" could be settled, as [now] has been done with Rees's cyclopaedia
By this post I send you for your friendly acceptance the 8th Decade of the Eucalyptography,
9
B82.13.17.
and as the plates for the 9th & 10th are ready, and as my extraduties as Commissioner & Juror for the international Exhibition
10
International Exhibition, Melbourne, 1880-1.
have ceased, I hope to issue soon also the two next parts.
11
B84.04.04, B84.11.02.
There will not then be left much to be done in
Eucalyptus

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, as Bentham & myself overrated the species from imperfect material 1866 in the Flora Australiensis.
12
Bentham (1863-78), vol. 3, pp. 185ff.
The 11th vol. of the fragmenta is finished some time ago, but I shall have a bound copy for you only by next mail. I have enumerated in it over 3500 evascular Acotyledoneae.
13
That is in the Supplements (B80.11.01, B81.13.12) included in the bound volume B82.05.22.
Regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller
The printing of a Census of species of Austr. plants with brief geographic notes
14
B83.03.04.
is under the press.
After the Eucalyptographia is finished, I intend to publish a similar monography of Myoporinae
15
B86.08.05; vol. 1, planned to contain the text, was never published.
of which I know about 60 firm spec. Have you a fragm. of
Myoporum mucronulatum

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to spare.