The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Newyearsday 1869 ¶ ¶ In presenting to you, dear Mr Bentham, late as it will come to you my newyears gratulation in all cordiality, I trust, that the year coming & those following may bring you again ...

Document information

Physical location:

RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1858-70, f. 364. 69.01.01

Plant names

Amarantaceae
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Banksia
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Buckinghamia
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Dryandra
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Grevillea
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Isoetes
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Isopogon
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Monochlamydeae
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Petrophila
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Ptilotus
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Salsolaceae
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Thymeleae
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Trichinium
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to George Bentham, 1869-01-01. 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/1860-9/1869/69-01-01-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

Newyearsday 1869

In presenting to you, dear Mr Bentham, late as it will come to you my newyears gratulation in all cordiality, I trust, that the year coming & those following may bring you again your health unimpaired, and permit you with the same devoted zeal to further through your great abilities and knowledge the cause of science as in years now passed by. I have to thank you sincerely for the last proof sheets full of interesting information and for the generous concessions therein made to me.

See G. Bentham to M, 29 October 1868.

By the Ship Dover Castle I have forwarded in the earlier part of last month two cases with Proteaceae again, Hakeas & Persoonias chiefly, while now an other case is ready for the Wellesley, to be sent off this week. This contains the rest of , and & , besides some small genera. I have then still to forward and most as well as all the , consequently at least two large boxes full more of , the whole of which thus will be 11 boxes.

Let this however not frighten you; for not only will you find your own work in most cases by a thorough preliminary examination of the plants rendered easy,

See B68.12.01, pp. 204-24, and B68.12.02, pp. 236-48, for M's working up of the Proteaceae; Tyymeleae are in B69.06.03, pp. 1-8, and in B69.06.03, pp. 8-15.

but also you will find, that the Proteaceae give little trouble in analysis as their characteristics are readily apparent. Besides they are so bulky, that a large box full of them gives not half as much trouble as a small one of most other kinds of plants. In respect to these I have still to remark, that cannot be kept apart generically from , as already foreshadowed by Poiret;

Poiret (1810-17), vol. 4, p. 619.

but I was wrong in my impression, when I believed that had to be joined to . RBrown has given not all the characters, on which these two genera differ with full clearness, and Meissner has rendered their characteristic still more obscure.

See R. Brown (1810a); M is probably referring to Meisner (1856).

I trust you will find the new generic characters contrasted by me acceptable. I spent the holidays on the careful examination of the latter plants.

B68.12.02, pp. 227-34; M summarised the cardinal characters of the two genera on p. 246.

The missing proof sheet of the volume I have to the best of my recollection received in duplo, but not thinking it would be required I sent it to Mr Woolls.

See G. Bentham to M, 29 October 1868.

If you think it worth while I will ask him to return it.

Always your very regardful

Ferd. von Mueller.

I am glad Prof Alex Braun reexamined so carefully the Australian species of .

See Braun (1869); Braun had earlier published on M's collection in Braun (1852).

It is so much gain for the cryptogamic volume.

Does infringe on the supposed constant character of : 2 ovules?