The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: 19/1/87 ¶ ¶ Only a few lines this time, dear Mr Carruthers, to ask, whether you could let me know, if in R. Brown's collection the leaves of the real Sterculia foetida exist, as collected in Australi...

Document information

Physical location:

Natural History Museum, London, Museum Archives, D404/5, folder 17, Mueller, Sir F J H von. 87.01.19

Plant names

Sterculia foetida
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- Australian Plant Name Index
Tarrietia
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- Australian Plant Name Index

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to William Carruthers, 1887-01-19. 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/87-01-19>, accessed June 20, 2025

19/1/87

Only a few lines this time, dear Mr Carruthers, to ask, whether you could let me know, if in R. Brown's collection the leaves of the real exist, as collected in Australia by him in 1802.

In his plant list for 2 November 1802 Robert Brown (1773-1858) included ' ? fol: tantum visa' [leaves barely seen], R. Brown (2001). p. 298. See Bentham (1863-78), vol. 1, pp. 226-7, who could not find Brown's specimens and inserted it 'on Brown's authority, assigning some Beckler specimens of leaves from NSW to the same taxon. See also Bean (2004). M had long had doubts about the species: see M to G. Bentham, 26 March 1867, in this edition as 66-03-26a.

As your illustrious predecessor saw only leaves, he may have been misled. What Bentham adduced from New South Wales as is [T]arrietia in an almost scaleless form.

Still, as S foetida has a wide distribution over intra-tropic Asia, it may occur in Carpentaria; but I never yet saw an Australian specimen of the genuine plant.

Regardfully

your

Ferd. von Mueller.