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RBG Kew, Kew Correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1882-1890, ff. 171–2. 86.04.07

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Joseph Hooker, 1886-04-07. 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/1880-9/1886/86-04-07-final.odt>, accessed June 5, 2026

Private
7/4/86
1
Annotated in ink by William Watson: See entry 271 -1885 also letter 24-IV-85 [i e. RBG Kew, Kewensia, Kew inwards book; M to J. Hooker, 24 April 1885].
Annotated in purple pencil: And 31.5.86 [letter not found].
The
Xanthorrhoea Preissii

Search for Xanthorrhoea Preissii in

sent to you, dear Sir Joseph, is a gift of the Swan-River
2
Perth, WA.
Exhibition-Commissioners, sent on my solicitation.
3
Vertical blue pencil line in margin, next to is a gift of . .. Commissioners.
It is not X. quadrangulata, which has similar leaves, but differs in various other respects, the latter being confined to the vicinity of St Vincents Gulf in S. Austr., while the other has a very wide range over West Austr, but not advancing far eastward.
4
A piece of paper pasted onto the back of f. 172 bears the following text in ink in an unknown hand: I cannot distinguish Preissii from quadrangulata by the young leaves, but Pressii is confined to west Australia & quadrangulata to South Australia
The slip also bears a note by Thiselton-Dyer in purple pencil: The plants from Chiswick will be the same kind as these from Mueller.
Can we hope, to get a supplement to the "genera"
5
Bentham & Hooker (1862-83).
from you?
I will try to send Mr Dyer a fresh X. Australis. They want much nourishment from often renewed healthy moss-soil with sand.
6
Vertical blue line in left margin next to they want . . . sand'; annotation in ink to left of line: noted. W.W. [William Watson].
In my time I had to train six draftsmen successively; three are dead, one nearly now blind, one who does only care to furnish something at long intervals and one opposed to temperance-associations!
7
Hewson (1999) lists the following artists who illustrated M's work: Friedrich Schönfeld (1810–1868); Ludwig Becker (?1808-1861); Robert Austen (c.1851-1879); Emil Todt (c.1810-1900); Ludwig Rummel (c.1837-1904); Robert Graff (c.1841-1914). She has not included either Richard Shepherd, who drew and lithographed the illustrations for B74.13.07 and B83.13.04, or P. Ashley, who 'had to be initiated into plant drawing', the results 'of which must be regarded as fairly credible' (B93.07.05, p. 8) before preparing the plates of thistles. See also Darragh (2012). The person who was 'nearly now blind' was probably Todt, while the one 'opposed to temperance-associations' has not been identified.
So the pictorial progress is beset with difficulties in my Department
Mr Dyer will be able to get lots of things, sent by me, from the President of the Vict. Commission, Joseph Bosisto Esqr.
Regardfully yr
Ferd. von Mueller
8
Annotated in ink by William Watson: With this letter there came a packet containing cuttings of Correa Laurenciana presumably an experiment in sending living plants from Australia - The cuttings had been dead some time and were quite mouldy when they reached us C. Laurenciana is established here - W.W. [William Watson]
See M to W. Thiselton-Dyer, 6 April 1886 (in this edition as 86-04-06a). M had previously sent this species to Kew: see M to J. Hooker, 4 October 1876.