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RBG Kew, Kew Correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1871-81, f. 218. 78.06.10a

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to George Bentham, 1878-06-10 [78.06.10a]. 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/1870-9/1878/78-06-10a-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

10/6/78.
I am not certain, dear Mr Bentham, whether I drew your attention to the fact, that
Macadamia verticillata

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is probably identical with
Brabejum stellatifolium

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. Never since I obtained in 1857 the only specimen (as supposed indigenous) from the Sydney collection, did I receive an other sample, which confirms my idea, that the Brabejum was cultivated and flowering in the Sydney Garden long ago, especially as Cunningham
1
Allan Cunningham was curator of the Sydney Botanic Garden, 1837-8, succeeding his brother Richard who had been curator since 1832.
already established interchanges with Zeyher.
In my contribution to the volume of the Acclimation Society of Victoria last year I united indeed Macadamia with Brabejum,
2
M also mentioned the unification of Macadamia and Brabejum in M to J. Hooker, 3 May 1877, where he cited B74.03.01, p. 150 in which the two were brought to Helicia.
The reference in this letter to the 'volume of the Acclimation Society' is probably an error for B76.12.04, where under Macadamia, p. 123, M gave the synonym Helicia ternifolia F.M.; however, he did not list Helicia as a synonym for Brabejum on p. 34. B76.12.04, although not published by the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria, is a 'rearranged and largely supplemented' arrangement of the lists of plants that appeared in the journal of the Society (see B71.06.02, B72.07.01, B74.13.06, B75.07.06).
and this will on geographic grounds not be so very objectionable, since not only species of
Lomatia

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but (as latterly shown) of
Embothrium

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occur also out of Australia.
Perhaps you like my drawing attention to this for the "genera", and do me the justice to mention in 2 or 3 words as ascertained by myself, as it is of course more pleasant to correct an error through myself, than to be corrected.
3
Bentham & Hooker (1862-83), vol. 3, part 1, p. 178 acknowledge M's change of opinion: 'M. verticillata, F. Muell., est, ex auctore in litt. verisimiliter Brabejum stellatifolium , stirps austro-Africana in horto Sydneyano culta; specimina nobis desunt et character in Flora Australiensi imprimis e schedis Muellerianis excerpta fuit, ovario non examinato.'
Always regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller.
Persoonia

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has also species with 2 glands.