Document information

Physical location:

A644, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney. 82.02.17

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to John Buchanan, 1882-02-17. 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/1880-9/1882/82-02-17-final.odt>, accessed June 5, 2026

17/2/82
The tree from Nelson, dear Mr Buchanan,
1
John Buchanan (1819-1898).
is a Pennantia, concerning which I give you a few notes on a separate paper.
2
See apparent enclosure transcribed below.
The rush from Wellington cannot be settled to a safe systematic place without ripe fruit. I should also like to see roots and leaves, which — if folded back — would come right enough by post.
Would it not be a good plan, to collect all the scattered notes on new phanerogams & ferns of your islands with short descriptions into one or two sheets, paged in the manner & size of Hooker's Handbook,
3
J. Hooker (1864-7).
so as to enable us to put it into Hooker's 1st volume? For such a supplement after nearly 20 years the additions at the end of the second volume could also be reprinted. It would be a great facility for all of us to work on N.Z. plants. I need not say, that I should feel honored to see my name identified with an other plant of N.Z., especially as I was disinterested enough in 1859 & 1860 to give up all the alpine plants to Sir Joseph Hooker, which were sent by Dr Haast & Judge Travers to me, long before any went to Kew.
Is there a chance of a N.Z. edition (enlarged up to date) of my "select plants" being brought out at your Gov. Printing office?
4
See also M to J. Hector, 15 February 1882 (in this edition as 82-02-15b), and notes to M to J. Hector, 24 May 1882. No NZ edition was published.
I should be greatly beholden to you , if you would spare me soon a good specimen of
Epiblema grandiflorum

Search for Epiblema grandiflorum in

, as the geographic distribution thus far is curious, and I would like to refer to it, while I am just engaged on some observations concerning orchids but like to compare yours carefully with the Australian plant.
Regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller
5
What follows is on a separate sheet, remote from the letter in the bound volume of Buchanan's correspondence.
Pennantia
Differs from P. corymbosa in lobeless leaves Whether it is really distinct as a spec from P. corymbosa, I will not venture in the absense of fruit to pronounce on; the form of the leaves alone would not suffice for specific distinction
6
Whether ... distinction is written below the text, its intended position marked by an asterisk.
from P. Endlicheri (a native of Norfolk Island) in smaller leaves, more downy panicles, unisexual flowers
from P. Cunninghami(a native of Eastern Australia) in blunt leaves, downy panicles much larger flowers