Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M1, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 69.05.23

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Friedrich Miquel to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1869-05-23. 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/69-05-23>, accessed September 11, 2025

1
MS found with a specimen (MEL 1520054) marked ‘ Roxb. Ternate, dedit Miquel'.
Utrecht 23 Mai 1869
Verehrtester Freund!
Ich habe Ihre Scaevol. mit unsern beiden aus den Molukken verglichen und das Resultat ist folgendes.
1. Ihre Sc. enantophylla ist eine neue Art, wenigstens nicht die Sc. oppositifolia Roxb. — Ihr Exemplar war leider sehr unvollständig und part VI der Fragm. Ph. fehlt mir.
2. von Ternate habe ich die echte S. oppositifolia Roxb., die ganz übereinstimmt mit den übrigen sehr kurzen Diagnosen Roxburgh's. — Die Kelchzipfel sind lang lineal. — Sie finden das Nähere in Vol. I der Annales Mus. b. L. B. wo ich diese und die folgende beschrieben habe.
3. die seq. "Scandens" n. 1981 Herb. Bogor. ist von Amboin und ist l. c. von mir als S amboinensis beschrieben.
Da Roxburgh grade
2
i.e. gerade.
von Ternate Pfl. erhielt, ist es wahrscheinlich dass seine Pfl. (n. 5213) Herb. Bog. die echte oppositifolia ist. Im ganzen doch scheint dies genus nur spärlich in den Molukken aufzutreten, als ein letzter Odem Zug New Holl. Luft — Ich lege ein Fragment dieser Scandens in diesen Brief. — Bessere könnte vielleicht Teysmann schicken.
Ist sie von Roxb.'s Pfl. verschieden, so repraesentirt sie eine neue Art, aber ich glaub das kaum.
Heute Morgen erhielt ich Ihren zweiten Brief. Beide haben mir grosse Freude gemacht, und im Voraus schon sage ich Ihnen Dank für die herrliche Pfl. Sendung. — Meinerseits sind 5 Hefte Annal. für Sie auf der Reise.
Sehr gerne will ich die indischen typen der Nord Austr. Flora vergleichen mit unsern Indo-Archip., möchte aber bitten mir dazu die Exenplare familienweise direct nach Utrecht zu schicken. In England bleiben die Sachen oft lange liegen. — In den Heften der Annal. werden Sie über einige Meliaceen schon Andeutungen zu Austral. Affin oder Identität finden.
Für die Gesellschaft d Wiss. werde ich sorgen, aber für dieses Jahr ist es zu spät. Die Candid. Listen sind schon geschlossen.
Herzlich grüsst
ganz der Ihrige
F. A. W. Miquel
Dürfte ich bitten gelegentlich, si fieri potest, pt. VI Frag. mir zu schicken
Utrecht, 23 May 1869.
3
For reply see M to F. Miquel, 14 August 1869.
Most esteemed friend,
I have compared your Scaevola with our two from the Moluccas and the result is as follows.
1. Your is a new species,
4
F. Muell., B73.06.03, p. 58. M refers in this account to the specimen he received from Miquel with this letter.
at least not the S. oppositifolia Roxb. — Your specimen was unfortunately very incomplete, and I lack volume 6 of the Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae.
5
M discussed the Goodeniaceae in B67.07.05, pp. 6-16; Scaevola is discussed on pp. 15-16.
2. I have the true S. oppositifolia Roxb. from Ternate ,
6
A volcano on a small island adjacent to Halmahera Is. in the Moluccas, Indonesia, formerly a Dutch colony. Miquel (1864) cites a collection by Teijsman and De Vriese from the summit of Ternate, at 5,000 feet altitude, of which he enclosed a fragment with this letter to M.
which agrees completely with Roxburgh's
7
William Roxburgh.
very short diagnoses. — The calyx lobes are long lineal. — You will find more details in vol. 1 of the Ann. Bot. Lugd.-Bat.,
8
Annales Musei Botanici Lugduno-Batavi, vol. 1, 1864, p. 210. Miquel was editor of the journal.
where I described this and the following.
3. The following 'Scandens' n. 1981 (Herbarium Bogor) is from Ambon
9
Indonesia.
and has been described by me l.c.
10
loc. cit.
as S. amboinensis.
As Roxburgh had just received plants from Ternate, it is probable that his plant (n. 5213) Herb. Bog. is the true S. oppositifolia. In the whole area this species seems to occur only sparsely in the Moluccas and then, as a last gasp, in the New Holland air. — I enclose a fragment of this 'Scandens'
11
MS annotation interlined by M: 'S. oppositifolia! Miq. ann. I, 210.' (cf. M in B68.12.02, p. 225).
with this letter. — Teiysman
12
J. E. Teijsman.
could perhaps send you better material.
If it differs from Roxburgh's plant, it represents a new species. But I doubt it.
This morning I received your second letter.
13
Letters not found.
Both gave me great pleasure, and I thank you already in advance for the wonderful plants you dispatched. — From my end 5 numbers of the Annales
14
Annales musei botanici lugduno-batav i.
are on the way.
I am very happy to compare the Indian types of your North Australian flora with that of our Indian Archipelago,
15
i.e. Indonesia; see discussion in Maroske (2012).
and would only like to ask that you send the specimens sorted into families and directly to Utrecht. Things often remain lying in England for a long time. — In the numbers of the Annales you will already find a few hints on Australian affinities or identifications in a number of .
I will take care of the Society of Sciences,
16
Probably the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences (Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen), of which Miquel was a senior member but to which M was never elected.
but it is too late for this year. The lists of candidates are already closed.
With sincere regards
your
F. A. W. Miquel.
May I ask that you send me volume 6 of the Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae some time, if it can be done.
17
Although the main text of vol. 6 of the Fragmenta had been completed by December 1868, the index was not expected to be printed until March 1869 (M to J. Decaisne, 28 February 1869 [in this edition as 69-02-28d]). It had still not been printed by the end of April (M to F. Parlatore, 24 April 1869 [in this edition as 69-04-24b]), but it was available by August (M to A. Tulk, 7 August 1869 [in this edition as 69-08-07a]).