The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Melbourne botan Garden, ¶ 2/8/69. ¶ Sir ¶ ¶ I have the honor to inform you, that I shall forward to you by the steamer, which leaves to morrow for Adelaide, a case with bulbs and tubers, this being a...

Document information

Physical location:

GRG 70/3/65, Botanic Gardens, State Records of South Australia, Adelaide. 69.08.02

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Richard Schomburgk, 1869-08-02. 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/1860-9/1869/69-08-02-final.odt>, accessed May 15, 2026

Melbourne botan Garden,

2/8/69.

Sir

I have the honor to inform you, that I shall forward to you by the steamer, which leaves to morrow for Adelaide, a case with bulbs and tubers, this being a share of a consignment received by me two days ago from Dr Bodichon of London,

Eugene Bodichon, author of several medical and other woks on Algeria?

who desired me to forward a portion to you. Accordingly you will receive

2 sorts 15 bulbs each

2 sorts 9 — —

1 sort 20 —

1 sort 6 —

Iris juncea 30 —

Cyclamen 36 tubers

Some of these bulbs are Scillas. But the contents of the case were in great confusion and for most part in decay. Hence the names were lost. In the case were also seeds of some kinds, but as they had been packed without any special cover with the bulbs &c, the seeds became all worthless. Even some copies of Dr Bodichons work were placed with the bulbs and consequently more or less damaged. Altho' I have not been asked to do so, I send also two copies of the best preserved volumes along with the case but under separate cover.

I have also the honor to acknowledge with thanks the arrival of your case with museum-plants, Orchid tubers &c which case reached me safely this evening. The steamer for Adelaide intending to leave to morrow noon, I shall probably not be able to give you any list of the names of these plants, indeed I may not have leisure to glance even over them in time. I will however at some early date furnish at least a preliminary list of these plants.

See M to R. Schomburgk, 8 August 1869.

I have the honor to be,

Sir, your very obedient

Ferd. von Mueller,

Director of the Botan. Garden of Melbourne & Gov. Botanist.

Rich Schomburgk Esq., PhD, J.P., Director of the botanic Garden of Adelaide.

If you attach any value to the work "Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae, I will endeavour to complete the set contained in your Garden library on receiving intimation which fascicles and plates already exist there. The sending of the museum plants from your establishment will be fully and specially acknowledged in my next report to Parliament, as I deem it but just that any special services of one public department to an other should also to the fullest extent be recorded and due and proper credit be given for it.

F.v.M.

The postscripts that follow are on a separate sheet.

As the season progresses Mr Schultz

i.e. F. Schultze, natural history collector who had gone to the north coast with G. Goyder’s survey team to select a site for the proposed capital of the Northern Territory.

will doubtless find many species in flower of which he at first got only fruits and vice versa.

I should be glad if you would early inform me, whether you could oblige me by completing the material of the few numbers specially indicated.

I should also be glad to learn, whether you received the bulbs of Scilla &c, sent by Dr Bodichon, quite safely.

I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient

Ferd. von Mueller.

The Director of the bot. Garden of Adelaide.

I omitted to remark, that several of the plants were not found previously so far west and are therefore of particular interest as to their locality.

Cyclamen

Iris juncea

Scilla