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RBG Kew, Kew Correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1882-1890, ff. 163-4. 85.12.28b

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Joseph Hooker, 1885-12-28 [85.12.28b ]. 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/1880-9/1885/85-12-28b-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

1
Annotated in purple pencil by W. Thiselton-Dyer: And 12.2.86 [letter not found].
Annotated in blue pencil, above Thiselton-Dyer's annotation, by J. Hooker: Prof O. [i.e. Daniel Oliver].
Melbourne
28 Dec. 1885.
From "Nature"
2
Hemsley (1885).
I learn, dear Sir Joseph, that Kew acquired the mainset of the Forster's plants from Liverpool. Would you favor me with a small fragment of
Myoporum pubescens

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& M. crassifolium for examination,
3
Small pencilled 'x' above crassifolium and a pencilled annotation in the left margin, f. 163 front [in Daniel Oliver’s hand?]: only x in F's Herb. Vertical blue pencil line in left margin next to Would you favor ... examination.
See also M to W. Carruthers, 3 December 1885.
as that would be important for my monography of the
Myoporinae

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. If no part of these plants can be spared, would you let me know your opinion concerning them? “Botanices insula” means probably “Botany Bay”; in that case it must have come from Solander.
4
M. crassifolium is listed in G. Forster (1786a) as species 240, p. 44, where it is listed as from 'Botanices infula'.
'Botanices insula' is a small islet near New Caledonia. See G. Forster (1777), vol. 2, p. 439, entry for 30 September 1774:
Captain Cook gave this little islet the name of Botany Island, because it contained in so small a space a flora of nearly thirty species, among which we saw several new ones. Its situation is nearly 22° 28' S. and 167° 16' E.
Senecio angustifolius

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can now also perhaps be cleared up. Perhaps it is Erechtites
5
Erechthites?
quadridentata.
6
Blue pencil line and annotation [unidentified hand] in lead pencil in left margin, f 163 back, next to Senecio ... quadridentata: '= Senecio lautus Forst. [forma]'.
Mr Dyer wrote to me about any future Professorship of Botany here.
7
Letter not found, but see M to W. Thiselton-Dyer, 19 September 1885.
In my life-time probably none will be established “per se”, as the University has more pressing demands; thus perhaps a Professorship for Agriculture may become established, which would be more to the mind of the breadwinning colonists.
8
thus perhaps... colonists note in right hand margin, f 163 back, position indicated by ms marks.
and even if an endowment for it specially was made, I could as little accept it as you could spare time for lecturing at the London University. Simply, because I had no time for lecturing, I declined a position on the Melbourne University as far back as 1854.
9
No evidence of M's being offered such a position has been found.
I am however a hon. Examiner of the Melb, Sydney and Adelaide University, looked just through 14 examination papers from Sydney. Will write you soon more fully on
Livistona

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s of Australia.
10
I am however... of Australia is a marginal note in the left margin, f 164 front with position indicated by *. M was appointed an examiner in the newly established Faculty of Medicine at the University of Adelaide on 16 October 1885 (Council minutes, Adelaide University Archives).
I am sending your son
11
Brian Hooker.
on his desire just a cither, so that he can keep up his musical enjoyments in the solitude. I am glad, that one of my friends helped him to his present position, which has become financially already much improved.
Next week we will have our annual meeting of the geographic Society here. It taxes me much with extra-work.
If you can send me the information on Myoporum soon , I shall feel much obliged.
Wishing you a happy newyear,
I remain
regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller.
12
A note from Daniel Oliver with comments about the plants mentioned in the text is bound at f. 165. Oliver judged Forster's
Myoporum crassifolium

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to be ' M. [Laetum] ' He included 'a small leaf & calyx for F. v. Mueller', and observed that 'We are obliged to accept the localities attached to the Forster plants with great caution'.
Mr C. Moore is very jealous of Dr Woolls's innocent little publication.
13
Woolls (1885).
Its issue was not instigated by me . But publications of one sort or the other will arise in these colonies now by amateurs and others. Woolls is much over 70; so this will probably be his "Swan-song"
14
Woolls is much ... Swan-song" is a marginal note, position indicted by manuscript marks, in right margin, f 164 back.
I was much pleased with the figure of Boronia heterophylla[.]
15
J. Hooker (1865-1904), vol. 111, t. 6845 (published 1 November 1885). Hooker in his notes to the illustration did not mention fragrance.
Do you not find the flowers very fragrant?
16
I was ... fragrant is a marginal note in left margin, f 163 front.