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RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1871-81, ff. 27-8 71.12.01cPreferred Citation:
Ferdinand von Mueller to Joseph Hooker, 1871-12-01 [71.12.01c]. 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/1870-9/1871/71-12-01c-final.odt>, accessed June 9, 2026
Melbourne bot garden
1/12/71.
Since I wrote last, dear Dr Hooker, I was able to secure yet for the Niagara stems
of
Dicksonia squarrosa
Cyathea dealbata [&]
Cyathea Smithii,
of which you can have one stem of each for Kew and one for Mr Booth of Flottbeck,
if you desire it.
1
See M to J. Hooker, 5 November 1871.
You will also get by the Niagara
gigantic
stems of Dicksonia antarctica and one very tall one of Alsophila Australis, if you
value them for Kew or Flottbeck.
The Captain of the Niagra
has fine accommodation for these stems and will water them on the voyage. He retains
some himself for the owners of the ship, and the rest of these ferns got thus a free
passage. You are entitled to select the largest specimens.
2
Niagara.
Lately the large Iridea of Lord Howe's Island has flowered. It proves a new Iris of
the section Moraea, which I have named Iris (Moraea) Robinsonii in honor of my friend
Sir Hercules Robinson, the Governor of Ceylon, who is promoted lately to the Governor
Ship of N.S. Wales. Hence this Iris belongs to his territory now. It is in flower
much like Iris compressa Thunb., on which Linné founded his genus Moraea, but the
leaves and stem are as large as that of Phormium! To me it seems clear, That Kers
& Endlichers genus Moraea, (but not Thunbergs) must fall together with Iris, by which
means we obtain a very natural genus, ranging still wider then Sisyrinchium.
3
M named
Iris robinsoniana
in B71.12.03, p. 153-4, citing it also as
Moraea robinsoniana
under the joint authority of himself and Charles Moore. Bentham (1863-78) vol. 6, p. 409, rejected M's uniting
Moraea
with
Iris, and listed it
as M. robinsoniana.
Klatts notes on the S. African Irideae
I have not yet seen. Our late lamented friend, Prof Harvey, never likely entering
on a comparison of Iris & Moraea, keeps in your edition of his genera only Moraea
up.
4
Probably in the series of papers in
Linnaea
culminating in Klatt (1866). In B65.10.01, p. 21, M records having volumes of
Linnaea
only for 1847–57.
5
Harvey (1868), p. 372.
I have established also a new genus of Saxifrageae from Lord Howes Island, namely
Colmeiroa,
next to Carpodetus, but the cells are one seeded, & it is differing also in some other respect Colmeiroa of Reuter is not upheld
by [J] Müller as you know.
6
M erected
Colmeiroa
(C. carpodetoides), in B71.12.03, p. 149.
7
Reuter's genus
Colmeiroa
(Euphorbiaceae) was established in 1843, but J. Müller (1866), p. 448, treated it as a synonym of
Fluggeae, erected in 1805.
There are several other plants from Ld Howes Island, which I have examined for the
current number of the Fragmenta, which is to appear this month.
But what is this to the treasures of the wonderland New Guinea!
8
B71.12.03.
For the first time since 1847, I have no letters by mail from Europe through the sinking
of the Rangoon at Ceylon.
I trust, that all my friends & correspondents will repeat in their next months letter,
what they wrote & send duplicates of any prints lost with the wreck at Point d[e]
Gall[e].
9
The
Rangoon
struck a rock while leaving Galle Harbour, Ceylon, on 1 November: 'All lives were
saved, but the whole of the Australian mails, the cargo and the passengers' baggage
were lost' (Argus, 27 November 1871 p. 5).
Possibly Mr Bentham may have written to obtain new material; so he must kindly repeat
his wishes.
The loss of Sir Rod. Murchison is a sad one to Geography & Geology.
To me he always proved a kind condescending friend. I wished he could have lived to
see Livingstone return, if indeed that brave man will really ever see civilisation
again.
10
Murchison died on 22 October 1871.
11
See Murchison (1864-5): the Royal Geographical Society had engaged Livingstone 'once more to revisit
Southeastern Africa, and determine the hidden watershed of that vast country' (p.
249) where, 'in addition to his efforts as a Geographer [he] … will act as a pioneer
in removing those obstacles which at present render the traveling of Christian missionaries
… fraught with disaster and profitless suffering' (p. 264). Livingstone was still
in the field at the time M wrote (see Livingstone's 1871 field diary, http://livingstone.library.ucla.edu/1871diary/index.htm,
accessed 18 January 2014).
Always yr
Ferd. von Mueller
The Captain has 2 tall Alsophilas from me. Perhaps he would spare one for Mr Booth,
and take an other Dicksonia
The Australian Eclipse Expedition may bring a few new plants from Cape Sidmouth.
I am promoting also, indeed called forth Mr Giles Expedition from the S. Austr telegraph
line to West Australia, probably the River Murchison.
12
A total solar eclipse occurred in the far north of Australia on 11 December 1871.
The Sydney and Melbourne Observatories collaborated in sending a party to Torres Strait
to view the event.
13
Ernest Giles's 1872 expedition from 23 August to 18 November 1872 was blocked by lack of water and
the salt pans of Lake Amadeus. See B75.04.07 and E. Giles (1875).
Alsophila Australis
Carpodetus
Colmeiroa
Cyathea dealbata
Cyathea Smithii
Dicksonia antarctica
Dicksonia squarrosa
Iridea
Iris compressa
Iris Robinsonii
Moraea Robinsonii
Phormium
Saxifrageae
Sisyrinchium