Document information

Physical location:

77.04.00c

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to George Bennett, 1877-04 [77.04.00c]. 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/1870-9/1877/77-04-00c-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

1
Letter not found. The text given here is from Albertis (1877a), p. 35 (B77.13.12). It is introduced by 'The following extract from letters sent by the Baron to Dr. George Bennett since the publication of the 4th Part of the Papuan plants, gives further information on the plants collected by Mr. D'Albertis:' Part 4 of Descriptive notes on Papuan plants (B76.12.03) was published in December 1876, and D'Albertis's journal is dated 15 January [1877]. The pamphlet has material on pp. 33-43 that was not included in Albertis (1877) (including a reprint pp. 33-35 of an unsigned review of B76.12.03 from Sydney mail and New South Wales advertiser, 17 February 1877, p. 200,) but the month of publication of the pamphlet has not been found. The letter is dated to April 1877 as the latest date that it could have been written in time for Bennett to prepare the text for publication before he left Sydney on 7 April for London via San Francisco ('Shipping', Sydney morning herald, 7 April 1877. p. 4), not returning until April 1879 (Australasian (Melbourne), 26 April 1879, p. 526.
Note that the introduction to the extract implies that it is derived from more than one letter.
The discovery of
Banksia

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, as demonstrated by the collection of fruit, modifies my remarks in reference to the non-Australian type of the vegetation of the Fly River.
2
In his report on the plants (B77.01.01 &c), published as an appendix to the newspaper version of D'Albertis's journal (Albertis (1877)) and included in the pamphlet at pp. 32-3, M wrote of the 'almost entire absence of Australian forms in these newly traversed lines [of exploration]'.
Among the fruits is a new Sloanea, with very large dark red fruit, much like those of
Sloanea Jamaciensis

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.
3
S. jamaiciensis?
I have named it S. paradiseanum,
4
See B77.02.01, p. 84.
as doubtless it is frequented by the paradise birds, who may feed upon the edible seeds. Among the fruits I found those of
Nageia

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, indicative of cooler regions, being coniferous. The collections also contain
Heptapleurum

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. The fruits in alcohol and the dried seeds were well worth examining, and although in the absence of flowers, we must be careful in dealing with such material closely for scientific purposes, yet it has enabled me to add
Garcinia

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,
Flindersia

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,
Sideroxylon

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,
Banksia

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,
Heritiera

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to the genera of Mr. D'Albertis' plants. A number of new genera have also been added to the collection which will appear in the forthcoming parts of the Papuan plants.