Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M4, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 69.09.30

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

George Bentham to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1869-09-30. 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/1860-9/1869/69-09-30-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

25. WILTON PLACE. S.W.
Sept 30/69
My dear Sir
After three months absence I am now again at work and am advancing on
Labiatae

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. I found on my return several of your letters for which I have to thank you but I do not see much that requires answer. You ask whether
Garuga floribunda

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is really decandrous It certainly is so and if you have a 4-numerous 4-androus plant from Liverpool river it probably belongs to some other genus.
As to
Euroschinus

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the fruits I described certainly belong to it and not to Ganophyllum — my plant is the same as Dr Hookers but when we did the genera plantarum
1
Bentham & Hooker (1862-83), vol. 1.
the fruits we had were not quite ripe and appeared more fleshy and rather differently shaped than what they proved to be when quite ripe. We have excellent flowering and fruiting specimens from W. Hill which quite confirm my description. In the fragments you send of
Ganophyllum falcatum

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there appear to me without doubt two plants — the flowers of Ganophyllum (an interesting addition to the Flora) but the fruits of
Euroschinus

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The two plants are easily confounded as they closely resemble each other in foliage and inflorescence but the flowers as you found are totally different. The fruit of Ganophyllum is as yet unknown — at least to us.
2
In the first two paragraphs Bentham is answering questions put in M to G. Bentham, 14 January 1869.
The two boxes pr Anglesea arrived safely during my absence. In one box were two small parcels marked "American letters addressed to Mr Merriman" which had evidently dropped in by mistake and will be returned in the first box sent back which I hope will be soon as I shall now I trust go on steadily and send back each Order as I have done with it I have about 60 species each of
Verbenaceae

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and
Myoporineae

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which are all written out for press and shall have above 120
Labiatae

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which are far advanced I shall however not be able to begin printing till Christmas or soon after.
In going through Brown's
Labiatae

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3
The Australian collections of Robert Brown (1773-1858) were at the British Museum.
I have no doubt that his
Cryphia

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is
Prostanthera microphylla

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Cunn (your P. coccinea) of which Brown had only a very imperfectly developped flower to examine. His specimens have only old calyxes and here and there a very young bud This species with P. ringens, a new species among Leichhardts which you had inadvertently placed with P. ovalifolia of which it has the leaves, P. aspalathoides A. Cunn P. calycina F. Muell and P. chlorantha F. Muell — all six I believe quite distinct from each other form a very marked section both by the calyx and corolla as you had pointed out under
Klanderia

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4
B53.04.01, p. 426.
but scarcely I think a genus — The anthers appendage is not always wanting I find it always present though small in P. microphylla but wanting in the others —
Chilodia

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I fear cannot be considered even as a section — I retain
Hemiandra

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as distinct from
Hemigenia

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though the character is very shady — for the pungent leaves give it a peculiar aspect in three species all differing in calyx.
5
Bentham is responding to M's treatment of
Labiatae

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in B68.02.03, pp 105-14.
Yours very truly
George Bentham
I have great pleasure in addressing you as C.M.G. — I hope you are not particular about the von for although in Germany your Orders give you a right to it as a German that is not the case here as an Englishman where vons are not the custom and not recognised and on observing that the Colonial Office did not give it to you and enquiring there we are told that in giving you the Commandership of St Michael & St George (C.M.G.) they advisedly omitted the von which is not English.
6
See title page to Bentham (1863-78), vol. 5. By the time vol. 6 was published, M had been enobled and 'Baron von Mueller' was used.
For my own part I attach no value whatever to these things.