The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Melbourne botan. ¶ Garden 25./1./64. ¶ My dear Mr Bentham. ¶ ¶ At last by the "Great Britain" this week the rest of the Myrtaceae will be sent to you, and as this celebrated ship performs its voyages...

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RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1858-70. ff. 136-7. 64.01.25e

Plant names

Angophora
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Babingtonia
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Baeckea
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Callistemon
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Calyciflorae
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Chamaelaucieae
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Eucalyptus globulus
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Fabricia
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Kunzea
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Leguminosae
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Leptospermum
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Lhotzkya
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Melaleuca
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Myrtaceae
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Pritzelia
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Rinzia
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Scholtzia
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Syzigium
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Thryptomene
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Tristania
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Tryptomene
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Verticordia
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to George Bentham, 1864-01-25 [64.01.25e]. 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/64-01-25e>, accessed September 11, 2025

Melbourne botan.

Garden 25./1./64.

MS annotation probably by William Hooker: “Pteris crenata R. Br." is Pt. longifolias. L.

My dear Mr Bentham.

At last by the "Great Britain" this week the rest of the will be sent to you, and as this celebrated ship performs its voyages always with such rapidity, it is not unlikely, that you will be in possession of this consignment by end of March. I have reviewed some & some e and deposited their definitions in the byefollowing almost completed number of the Fragmenta.

B64.02.01, pp. 57, 62, 65-74.

(which Endlicher seems to have named so on account of its readily dropping leaves from ϑ ρυπτόμενοσ and which some writers have incorrectly spelled ) is in no other way distinct from but by its 1 celled ovary with very few or 1 ovule. I know 14 species of it, if Dr Hookers Tasmanian one has the 6 small almost obliter[ed] bracteoles as in the plate illustrated.

micrantha, in Hooker's journal of botany and Kew Garden miscellany, vol. 5, 1853, t. 8.

I believe you will find my dissections correct so that I have not brought any to or any of the latter into the former. The embryonic characters of & I have given; they are curious and represent certainly not the homogeneous embryo mentioned by Schauer, as there are always two distinct minute cotyledons & a comparatively very large radicle. Were my not with you, I should have examined the embryos of all genera on this occasion, as I feel convinced that generic notes may be derived from them as well amongst the xerocarpicae as chymocarpicae This seems evident when an embryo as that of Eucalyptus is contrasted with that of or . has it with four cotyledons which clasp around the axillary radicle. Something similar I have seen in one of the tropical species and probably this is the typical form of the embryo of the genus. — But to proceed.

is a very natural genus[,] if taken in its wide extent and after examining all my material I can see no advantage in keeping up Schauers new genera.

Schauer (1843) recognized a number of genera, e.g. (p. 239), that Bentham & Hooker (1862-83), vol. 1, pp. 701-2 treated as sections within .

It seems to me even inadvisable to maintain , for the opening of the anthers with pores is one of degree and not absolute unless we establish intermediate genera with anthers opening with prolonged pores or short slits. The latter may even be seen in Eucalyptus, and has species as well opening with pores as others opening the anthers by fissures. Some species of have as well 2 as 3-celled ovaries. Even may be brought back to , as other species have dilated stamens. or differs in its ovary cells having 1-2 ovules but not otherwise from in the sense in which I adopt this genus. The inflorescence is not of generic value in . But you will be best able to judge for yourself.

The Box pr Great Britain will bring 2 parcels

	Leptospermum Search for Leptospermum in This website VicFlora Australian Plant Name Index	one -
	Scholtzia Search for Scholtzia in This website Australian Plant Name Index (Pritzelia)	one -
	Kunzea Search for Kunzea in This website VicFlora Australian Plant Name Index	one
	Thryptomene Search for Thryptomene in This website VicFlora Australian Plant Name Index & Lhotzkya Search for Lhotzkya in This website Australian Plant Name Index	1
	other Chamaelaucieae Search for Chamaelaucieae in This website Australian Plant Name Index	1.

is but slightly different from through connecting forms. The shortness of the stamens of is its best character, as not all Leptosperma have woody fruits; the form of the fruit of the latter gives a secondary generic character. is in no way generically separate from Leptosperm[um], as on comparison of my plants you will observe.

By the "Essex", which sailed on the first of this month, I forwarded

Case No. 22

	Callistemon Search for Callistemon in This website VicFlora Australian Plant Name Index Fasc	5
	Tristania Search for Tristania in This website Australian Plant Name Index	3
	Verticordia Search for Verticordia in This website Australian Plant Name Index	1
	Syzigium Search for Syzigium in This website Australian Plant Name Index	1
	Angophora Search for Angophora in This website VicFlora Australian Plant Name Index	1
	Melaleuca Search for Melaleuca in This website VicFlora Australian Plant Name Index	11
	Leptopermum 5 Leptospermum Search for Leptospermum in This website VicFlora Australian Plant Name Index ?	4
	Myrtaceae Search for Myrtaceae in This website VicFlora Australian Plant Name Index suppl	1
	Leguminosae Search for Leguminosae in This website Australian Plant Name Index	1
		28.

Case No. 21.

Went pr Sussex on the 12 Decemb. 1863 & contained 25 fasc of Eucalyptus & 1 suppl & 1 suppl. also Case No. 20. with 27 fascicles Eucalypti.

You will have thus in all 102 fascicles of , which I trust you will not regard an unimportant collection, as it is more than half of the extent of all Cunninghams Collections.

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