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Physical location:

RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1858-70, ff. 182-4. 65.11.26a

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to George Bentham, 1865-11-26 [65.11.26a]. 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/1860-9/1865/65-11-26a-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

26/11/65
My dear Mr Bentham.
Your letter of 21. Sept. is lying before me. It is wonderful to see you proceed so rapidly with the elucidation of genera in general and of species as regards the Australian flora. I have shipped box No. 28 pr " Yorkshire " on the 13. Nov. It contains angiantheae,
Ixodia

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,
Ammobium

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&
Aster

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( Euryb. &
Celmisia

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&
Steetzia

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) = in all 18 fascicles. Freight paid. The first consignment of
Compositae

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was sent pr " Kent " on the 30. Sept, consisting of 26 species. Now I am engaged in placing the 3 consignment of compositae in order, chiefly embracing gnaphaloid plants. Since I have carefully separated the species of
Aster

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, about 50 and written new diagnoses of 34 you will find the elaboration of these plants easy. I hope to do the same service as regards gnaphaloideae, though my attention is incessently withdrawn from phytographic engagements or at least these are constantly subjected to long interruptions. The original plants of Steetz are useful for comparison.
1
For details of M's acquisition of Steetz's herbarium, see Short & Sinkora (1988).
I am glad you determined the genera of the two Rubiaceous plants. Not having fruits I did not enter on the task with care, but thought it better to send them rather then
2
than?
to reserve the species til I had better material for defining them in my own work, which I could have done perhaps soon. I have now an other Indian genus to add, Casearia (C. Australiae)
3
M published a Casearia species from Rockingham Bay, Qld, as C. dallachii in B66.02.01, p. 107, the herbarium name he used when sending to Kew specimens K591480, K59181 and K59182; MEL 582307 has that name added by M to Dallachy's collecting label dated 'November 20th 1865'.
from Rockingham's Bay.
On calling at the Agent Generals Office you will find the draft of £100 at your disposal.
4
Payment from the Government of Victoria for Bentham (1863-78), vol. 3.
In the 5 vol. of the fragmenta I will give a systematic index of that work, as far as genera are concerned.
5
See request in G. Bentham to M, 21 September 1865; the index appeared in B66.13.01, pp. 217-24.
I look forward with great interest to the 2 part of the genera.
6
Bentham & Hooker (1862-83). vol. 1, part 2 was published on 19 October 1865 (TL2).
Perhaps I may furnish a few notes in time for the supplemental parts of the volume. In the first portion of the work is omitted, that
Nitraria

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is a South European genus;
Ampelideae

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is a zoologic name and should give way to
Viniferae

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. Hert[it]iera has 1-2 seeded Carpels. Endl found several ovules.
Xanthophyllum

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has in our species foliaceous green cotyledons, separable from the amygdaloid thick albumen.
7
See M to G. Bentham, 22 September 1865. The 'Addenda et Corrigenda' to vol. 1 of Bentham & Hooker (1862-83), pp 953-1009, contains several references to M and his publications, including details of the
Xanthophyllum

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cotyledons (p. 974), citing the description of Macintyria.
Will you be so friendly to ask Dr Hooker, whether he would like to have for inspection the NZ plants of my herbarium. It contains a large number of fascicles, indeed almost all the species of the islands & occasionally in different forms & from localities not the same as those recorded by Dr Hooker. As I keep the New Zealand plants entirely by themselfes, I can send them at any time & Dr Hooker might find many occasions for additional notes, with which to supplement his handbook.
8
J. Hooker (1864-7). Information from M concerning species described in part 1 was included in the 'Additions, corrections, &c' appended to part 2.
I would like however the phanerogamic portion soon returned.
Dr Hooker will feel interested to learn, that
Lyperanthus suaveolens

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is according to Dr Milligans collection a Tasmanian plant.
Could not a good botanical Artist be induced to depict carefully the stigmata of a series of
Aster

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s? We would learn then, how far to these stigmatic notes could be trusted for generic discrimination. I have lately united a lot of Euphrasiae as E. Brownii and also reduced a large number of terrestrial orchids.
9
Euphrasia brownii was described in B65.11.01, p. 88; a number of orchids were also discussed in the same issue.
For these disquisitions arise occasions now & then when I have to examine plants under cultivation or sent to me for naming. What a misery & useless toil has not the want of true appreciation of specific characters brought into descriptive Botany! In introducing
Compositae

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attention may be drawn to the large number of annual pygmies of this order in Australia.
Vittadinia

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teaches a lesson on variability of species. You will be astonished when you see my series of these plants. The fruits of
Erechtites

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seems in the same species very variable in size.
Senecio brevilingueus

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occurs also at Wilson's Promontory. Without inspection of D.C.
10
A. P. de Candolle (1836), pp. 497-695, and A. P. de Candolle (1837), pp. 1-448.
& Achill Richards plants some of the Seneciones of Australia cannot be determined.
D.C. quotes Lesson & Richard; still it seems from the voy. d'Astrolabe, that A Rich is sole authority of the new
Compositae

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defined in the scientific volumes of the voyage.
11
A. Richard (1832-34); part 1 is attributed to Lesson and Richard, part 2, which included the
Compositae

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, to Richard alone.
I remain,
with cordial regards
dear Mr Bentham,
your
Ferd Mueller