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RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1871-81, f. 45; 1858-70, f. 41 72.06.20a

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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to George Bentham, 1872-06-20 [72.06.20a]. 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/1870-9/1872/72-06-20a-final.odt>, accessed May 10, 2026

Melbourne bot Garden
20/6/72
It is pleasing, dear Mr Bentham, to see you advance so well with the
Euphorbiaceae

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.
1
See G. Bentham to M, 10 March 1872.
It will be a very complete vol that 6th,
2
i.e. Bentham (1863-78), vol. 6.
more so than the first 2 or 3, as within the last few years so much was got from N.E. Australia. Indeed I do not think, that many additional species are left to be discovered in Australia.
I shall send off soon the
Orchideae

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, which alone will fill a large box. That will be sufficient for finishing the volume, so at least I anticipate. To me it appears a pity that the flora foreruns the genera.
3
Bentham & Hooker (1862-83).
The latter work is important for the whole world , the former chiefly for Australia, — and so little local interest is evinced in native plants here, that I do not think more than a dozen copies of the work, valuable as it is, were sold in Australia. Poor Harvey's phycology
4
Harvey (1858–63).
fared worse. — I mention this only to show, that there is no reason to overhurry the work. R Brown and Roeper & others have assuredly explained beyond doubt, that the apparently simple flower of
Euphorbia

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is in reality a compound one.
5
Cf. Bentham's remarks in G. Bentham to M, 17 April 1872; see R. Brown (1814), pp. 556-7; Roeper (1824), pp. 9-12.
Do you really think that the old order of
Urticeae

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ought to be broke up? If we take it analogous to
Euphorbiaceae

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, then
Moreae

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,
Artocarpeae

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&c become sections only.
Sponia aspera

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is to goats and other pasture animals a deadly poison. This seems not known and might be mentioned in the volume.
6
No such remark was made in Bentham (1863-78), vol. 6, p. 158.
I fully agree in your views about the floral and carpic structures of
Compositae

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, and thus the term achenium must be reserved for the fruit of that order and those closely allied.
7
Anonymous (1872) reports Bentham's views on the origins of the flower and fruit structures of the
Compositae

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; the complete paper was published as Bentham (1873).
Dr Steetz, I think, has claims on recognition as working on
Compositae

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. He also regarded, so he said in one of his last letters to me, the researches of Cassini far more important than those of Lessing.
8
Letter not found, but see J. Steetz to M, 27 July 1860 (in this edition as 60-07-27a).
Ever your regardful
Ferd von Mueller
I have asked Grisebach to tell me what his
Ophelia Baxteri

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is from K.G. Sound
9
WA. M's letter not found.
It seems Dr Sonder never received the 5th vol of the Flora.
10
Postscripts written in margins of letter.