Document information

Physical location:

Natural History Museum, London, Botany Library, 'The botanical brethren', MSS BOT, Letter no. 18. 72.03.26

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Peter MacOwan, 1872-03-26. 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/1870-9/1872/72-03-26-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

1
One of a bound collection of photocopies of letters of eminent botanists, made from earlier photocopies which are in private hands.
Letterhead has M's proposed baronial arms, on which see M to A. Petermann, 1 January 1872 (in this edition as 72-01-01a), n. 1, and Home (2017).
Melbourne bot Garden
26/3/72
You will be both surprised and displeased, dear Prof M'Owan, that I neglected you so long. The fact is, that my position was for a time interfered with as regard the horticultural administration, that Scarlet
Pelargonium

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,
Petunia

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&
Verbena

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became the order of the day, that no end of my best plants were discarded & lost (including many S. African species) and that it became a hopeless task under such adversities to work for the increase of the cultural collections. Much ( very much) of my time was lost in simply defending my Directorial position, my courage sank, my strenght faded, my health fluctuated. — Be it enough! Better days of a more enlightened administration are dawning now and so I resume correspondence.
Sir Henry Barkly's presence at Capetown ought to enable us to effect interchanges as well in bulbs & seeds as in Museum plants easier than before. I will send you plenty of dried plants, if you value them, and I like as many in return from your hand as you may deem me entitled to at any time. My S. Afr. coll. of Museum plants is large, yet I like to complete it still more.
Of S. African Buddleys
2
Buddleias?
only one (B. salvifolia) I have in cultivation. Could I get through your kindness well matured seeds of the others? I am particularly anxious for any specimens of
Melanthaceae

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, flowers & fruit, in order that I may in connection with the Austr species remodel also from S. African ones the limits of the genera.
Your regardful
Baron Von Mueller
Do you take a share in continuing Harvey's & Sonder's work?
3
MacOwan declined the opportunity to continue the Flora of South Africa, commenced as Harvey & Sonder (1859-65). See M to H. Barkly, 8 October 1871 (in this edition as 71-10-08b), and notes thereto.
I wished you could get 2 years leave to work with Dr Sonder in Hamburg.
Sonder is very anxious to be in communication with you always