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RBG Kew, Kew Correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1858-70, f. 195. 66.02.05a

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Joseph Hooker, 1866-02-05 [66.02.05a]. 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/1860-9/1866/66-02-05a-final.odt>, accessed June 5, 2026

5/2/66
I anticipate, dear Dr Hooker, that you are collecting supplemental notes for your lamented fathers great fern works or for the continuation of his synopsis.
1
W. Hooker & Baker (1868). M expressed concern about the continuation of the Synopsis to Henry Barkly; see H. Barkly to J. Hooker, 17 February 1866, RBG Kew, Directors’ correspondence, vol. 188, f. 114. See also J. Hooker to M, 27 June 1866.
Possibly the fern I herewith transmit may be new. Would it not be an excellent gift to [a] botanist, if a complete index of names & synonyms was published as an addition to the gen. & spec. filic.?
2
W. Hooker (1842); W. Hooker (1846-64).
Whoever possesses that important work (& no phytographer of any pretension can be without it) would gladly possess such an index. Perhaps it might be combined with a supplement of actually new species. In publishing a list of Australian ferns
3
B66.02.01, pp. 111-42: 'Filicum in Museao Phytologico Melbournensi asservatarum Australiam continentalem inhabitantium imprimis de earum distributione agens breviarum'.
& refering frequently to extra-australian allied species I observe that my collection embraces very many not recorded by Sir William; thus my collection of Moritzis Vene[s]uela ferns is much richer than that at Kew. If you required it at any time I could send those species not recorded (many from Erromango
4
Erromango Island, Vanuatu.
on loan to Kew.
You published a note on a genus of Hill
Catakidozamia

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in the Gardeners Chronicle.
5
Gardeners' chronicle, 25 November 1865, p. 1107.
Could you favor me with a few notes on the value of the genus. I have seen neither species, unless it be one of the
Cycas

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& Encephalartos species. I have prepared a diagnosis of
Encephalartos Bowenii

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(
Bowenia spectabilis

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) for the current number of the fragmenta.
6
B66.10.01, p. 171.
The fruit of the new genus
Darlingia

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will interest you.
7
M erected
Darlingia

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(D. spectatissima) in B66.02.02, p. 152.
It is 4 seeded, like
Knightia

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.
8
The text ends without valediction, half-way down the page.