The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: ¶ Circular. ¶ Having been requested by a large number of the Botanical public, who take an interest in the Australian Flora, to compile for publication a supplementary volume to the "Flora Australien...

Document information

Physical location:

RBG Kew, Letters to Joseph Hooker, vol. 16, f. 7. 93.03.00b

Preferred Citation:

Frederick Bailey to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1893-03 [93.03.00b]. 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/93-03-00b>, accessed April 20, 2025

Circular.

The item is one page of typescript, signed at the bottom by Frederick Bailey. It has been annotated by M: 'Rec 20/3/93 FvM'. It was enclosed with M to J. Hooker, 28 March 1893. There is another copy, signed and dated 'March 93' by Bailey, at RBG Kew, Kew Gardens, Colonial Floras, f. 99, date stamped 'Royal Gardens Kew 24. Apr. 93'. For M's formal response, see M to F. Bailey, 31 May 1893.

In a letter to F. Turner, 7 March 1893 (Letter press copy book 2, pp. 335-6, Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane), Bailey rehearsed in very similar terms his plans for the supplementary volume and indicated that he would send out his circular 'shortly'.

See Clements (1998) and Lucas (2003), pp. 272–4.

Having been requested by a large number of the Botanical public, who take an interest in the Australian Flora, to compile for publication a supplementary volume to the "Flora Australiensis",

Bentham (1863-78).

I have complied with the request for the following reasons. --

1. It is now thirty years since the first volume of Bentham's work was issued, and fifteen years since the work was completed, and since then about 1100 or 1200 plants have been added to the known Flora.

2. That the greater number of the fresh plants belong to Queensland, and have been recorded from time to time in my publications.

3. That any such supplementary publication should in no-wise differ in style or language, classification and general arrangement, from that of the first seven volumes, and that such being the case, I am probably the most suitable one of the Australian workers, to undertake the work.

4. That in this additional volume, the naturalised plants should be recorded, as well as defined varieties of the indigenous species. It will be observed that such are not given in Baron Mueller's publications, but it is usual to record them in Floras, and in my opinion no Flora is complete without them.

5. That in a compilation of this kind, the compiler will only have to gather the descriptions of the various plants from the scattered literature, and transcribe them to make the language agree so far as possible with that of Bentham's work. Advantage will be taken, however, to complete former descriptions. For example, where Bentham's description wanted an account of the fruit or flower, if such has been described by others since, this will be given at its proper place.

In undertaking the work of compiling this supplementary volume, I have to solicit the help of all Australian workers upon the subject, by forwarding to me as full lists as possible, of the plants which may have become naturalised in their colony or district, and also descriptions of all their new plants which may have been described since the publication of Baron Mueller's "Second Census of Australian Plants."

B89.12.03.

All the orders, tribes, genera, species, &c, will be numbered to agree with the seven volumes of the Flora, so as to facilitate reference.

The only deviation from the arrangement given in the "Flora Australiensis" will be where such is authorised by the "Genera Plantarum" of Bentham and Hooker.

Bentham & Hooker (1862-83).

F.M. Bailey

COLONIAL BOTANIST

COLONIAL BOTANIST is stamped on the sheet below Bailey's signature.