Document information

Physical location:

University of Florence, Science Library: Botany, Archives, Beccari 12/32. 85.04.16f

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Odoardo Beccari, 1885-04-16 [85.04.16f]. 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/1880-9/1885/85-04-16f-final.odt>, accessed June 10, 2026

16/4/85
My best gratitude is due to you, dear Dr Beccari, for sending me the splendid first half of the second volume of your "Malesia",
1
Beccari (1877-90).
in which you have shed a flood of light on the "ant plants" and gave other most interesting information concerning sundan and papuan vegetation.
It is much regret that I can not send you Australian specimens of
Hydnophytum

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and
Myrmecodia

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. I have none from Cape York, unless in late supplemental collections, and took the two up as Australian simply from Sir Jos Hooker's remarks on Captain Nares collections.
2
M listed these genera in B85.10.03, p. 75; and mentions them being found at Cape York in B69.10.01, p. 45, on the un-cited authority of J. Hooker and of Bennett [i.e. George Bennett, d. 1893]. The reference is to G. Bennett (1868), which includes an extract of a letter to him from J. D. Hooker, p. 52, discussing the plants.
See G. Ben[n]ett
3
editorial insertion: MS torn. Unless otherwise stated, later insertions in [ ] have this meaning.
in See[man]n's journ. febr 186[8.] I shall however forward any "ant-plants" to you, whenever such reach me.
Some time go Mons. Antoine, the Director of the Imperial private Garden of Vienne, sent me a sketch of a plant which had accidentally come up in his conservatory.
4
Letters not found.
He desired me to give him the name, and I had no hesitation of [pr]onouncing it a [Myr]mecodia or [Hydn]ophytum, although the sketch showed neither flowers nor fruits. By this time it may have come into blossoms; so I would advise you, to communicate with M. Antoine, as his living plant would of course greatly interest you.
With very regardful remembrance your
Ferd. von Mueller
I have somewhere given a public record of the occurrence of
Pistia Stratiotes

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near Port Moresby, but do not remember now where it was printed.
5
Written in central and outside margin of p. 2. See M to J. Hooker, 1 June 1883, and M to O. Nordstedt, 12 August 1881 (in this edition as 81-08-12b). The only printed source found is B85.13.33, p. 18, sent to the printer after this letter was written.
6
The following text is from a sheet pinned to this letter.
Of the palms desired by you, I can unfortunately send very little. The collectors procured even in first instance mostly only miserable material, and of this much was sent permanently to Kew , so that you may have there a chance to follow up your important study of the palms also as regards australian sp. What little I can furnish you with I will dispatch by this post.
Best thanks for your very friendly allusion to me again in the Ma[lesia] and for identif[i]ng
7
editorial additions: text obscured by adhered flap of envelope.
my name with one ant plant.
8
Myrmecodia

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muelleri, Beccari (1877-90), vol. 2, p. 102.