The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: 29/2/68 ¶ ¶ Your kind letter, dear Mr Bentham, from 19. Dec. ¶ is for reply before me. I feel convinced that the Epacrideae, though so extensively preelaborated here, will absorb so much still of yo...

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RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1858-70, f. 306. 68.02.29

Plant names

Cyathodes
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Epacrideae
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Erica
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Leucopogon
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to George Bentham, 1868-02-29. 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/1860-9/1868/68-02-29-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

MS annotated by Bentham: 'Stylidium calcaratum & S. perpusillum'.

29/2/68

Your kind letter, dear Mr Bentham, from 19. Dec.

G. Bentham to M, 19 December 1867.

is for reply before me. I feel convinced that the , though so extensively preelaborated here, will absorb so much still of your time that you will have material enough until the last portion arrives by the Great Britain. Indeed you have from me only the roughly worked out shapeless mass to which your master chissel must give the finishing form. If not in time the remainder should arrive, you will have so much work to do for the "genera"

Bentham & Hooker (1862-83).

that the latter far more important work will gain by the delay of the other. I do not think, that after you have examined all drupaceous you could form any sound genus on , but will confirm the accuracy of my own observations.

M's major treatment of the is in B67.09.01, summarized on pp. 74-6; Bentham's treatment, which maintained , is in Bentham (1863-78), vol. 4, pp. 142-265. See Lucas (2001).

Otherwise you will have to break up and several allied genera on similar principles. What then is to be done with ? I think there should be some equitable characteristic of a genus, no matter whether it contains one or a thousand species; there should be some general guiding principle for the value of a genus and not a fluctuating one, especially as a genus to day monotypic may to morrow be pleio- or even polytypic.

With best wishes for your health & happiness

Ferd. v. Mueller