The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Melbourne botanic & zoolog. Garden, ¶ 16 May 1859. ¶ Venerable friend and colleague. ¶ ¶ You will justly regard me as very remiss in my correspondence for having not answered long before this your ve...

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Bibliothèque de l'Institut de France, Paris. 59.05.16d

Plant names

Arauja
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Asclepiadeae
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Centaurea riparia
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Centratherum muticum
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Corypha
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Corypha Australia
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Cucumis jucunda
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Cucurbita micrantha
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Cucurbitaceae
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Helosciadium leptophyllum
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Josephinia
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Lagenaria vulgaris
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Rhyncharrhena
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Sicyos angulatus
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Soliva anthemoides
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Tagetes glandulifera
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Joseph Decaisne, 1859-05-16 [59.05.16d]. 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//letters/1850-9/1859/59-05-16d-final.odt>, accessed May 10, 2026

Melbourne botanic & zoolog. Garden,

16 May 1859.

Venerable friend and colleague.

You will justly regard me as very remiss in my correspondence for having not answered long before this your very kind letter dated 16 June 1858.

Letter not found.

I have now also to acknowledge the receipt of your very friendly communication dated february 1859.

Letter not found.

Soon after the receipt of the first of these two letters, I communicated with a "squatter" resident in the country, to send me as many seeds of the palm as possible. He accordingly sent an aboriginal to the stately groves of these trees and procured a large quantity, but as the distance where these palms grow is 300 miles from Melbourne and partially through a very wild country, it happened that the parcel was unfortunately lost on its way to me. However I will bear your request in regard to the palm fruits in mind at the next season, when they are obtainable.

Nothing gives me greater pleasure, than to aid so distinguished a botanist as yourself wherever it lays in my humble power, and I have therefore sent by this months overland mail via South hampton (freight paid) all the rarer cucurbitaceae

The collection did not arrive; see M to J. Descaine, 25 December 1861.

which I have in my collection, likewise the seeds of same & also fragments of several , which I believe will prove partially new. I can only regret, that the small collection, which I forward is so little worthy of your acceptance, but it must be born in mind, that the specimens collected during Mr Gregorys expedition

North Australia Exploring Expedition, 1855-6.

had to be carried for thousands of miles on pack horses, thus being subject to continuous braekage. After my return I did not like to make further use of the permission, given by Her Brittanic Majestys Home Government of retaining for myself a set, than laying small fragments for my herbarium aside. These I have gladly shared with you, and as I have added notes of some of the drawn up on the spot from fresh specimens, I still hope that they will be useful for your monograph. However better specimens of most you will find in Sir W. Hookers collection at Kew. Would you be so very kind to give publicity to my notes on after you kindfully corrected the interim-names?

I feel under great obligation to you for your prompt information on

Araujia?

& . The latter I have published in the 5. No. of my Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae where also a new species of Cucumis ( ) with edible fruits is described.

See B59.13.02, p. 45.

I believe you are quite correct in referring

See B55.13.03, p. 17.

to Cucumis.

must have been thrown on shore of East Australia with ballast or by other means [like]

MS damaged.

Soliva anthemifolia?

, , ( , All. Cunn & DC. prod.) and many other South American plants.

You will be aware that & grow also indigenously in Australia.

C. australis?

occurs as far South as 37° 30' in Gipps Land, as stated in my annual report 1854.

B55.11.01.

It seems that the letter of Count Tascher you refer to in regard to

Letter not found.

must have been lost.

With the best wishes for your welfare I remain, venerable friend,

Your very obliged

Ferd. Mueller

I find that the length of the funicle gives good characters of discrimination in some of the .

MS annotation: 'M. Ferdinand Müller'.