The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Hamburg 9 March 1854 ¶ Most highly esteemed Sir! ¶ ¶ […] ¶ ¶ You have perhaps seen from the last parts of ¶ Linnaea ¶ , that I have begun to work up the plants sent to me by my friend Dr Mueller fr...

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Universiteitsbibliotheek, Hs 1873, Utrecht, Netherlands. M54.03.09

Plant names

Casuarineae
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Cyperaceae
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Eucalyptus
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Loranthaceae
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Myrtaceae
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Restiaceae
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Rubiaceae
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Santalaceae
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Preferred Citation:

Wilhelm Sonder to Friedrich Miquel, 1854-03-09 [M54.03.09]. 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/M54-03-09>, accessed September 11, 2025

Hamburg d. 9 März 54

Hochgeehrtester Herr!

[…]

Matter unrelated to M omitted.

Sie haben vielleicht aus den letzten Heften der Linnaea gesehen, dass sich angefangen haben, die von meinem Freunde Dr Müller aus Australien mir geschickten Pflanzen zu bearbeiten. Ich habe nun bald gemerkt, dass diese Arbeit, von mir allein ausgeführt, zu lange Zeit in Anspruch nehmen werde als Dr Müller lieb sein kann. Ich habe mich desshalb an Freunde und Bekannte gewendet und deren Hülfe erbeten. Die Herren Bentham, Lindley, E. Meyer, Bartling, Fenzl und Meisner haben bereits eine Anzahl von Familien übernommen, auch theilweise schon absolvirt. Ich würde mich glücklich schätzen, wenn auch Sie an der Bearbeitung dieser interessanten Pflanzen Theil nehmen wolten. Mehrere kleine Familien stehen zu Ihren Disposition z. B. Santalaceen, Casuarineen, Loranthaceen, Rubiaceen, Restiaceen. Oder haben Sie Lust zu den Cyperaceen? Vielleicht interessiren Sie sich für die Myrtaceen, die durch die Gattung (circa 30 Spec.) stark verteten ist.

Von der meisten Arten — oder wohl von allen werden Sie für Ihr Herbarium behalten können.

Ich bitte Sie, wenn Ihre Zeit es erlaubt, Ihne Beihülfe nicht zu verweigern, und mir durch einige Zeilen Nachricht zu geben, auf welchen Wege ich Ihnen die Pflanzen zu schicken soll.

Hochachtungsvoll

Ihr

ergebenster

W. Sonder

Hamburg 9 March 1854

Most highly esteemed Sir!

[…]

Matter unrelated to M omitted.

You have perhaps seen from the last parts of Linnaea, that I have begun to work up the plants sent to me by my friend Dr Mueller from Australia. Now I soon noted that this work carried out by me alone would take too long a time than could be agreeable to Dr Mueller. Therefore I have turned to friends and acquaintances and asked their assistance. Messrs Bentham, Lindley, E. Meyer, Bartling, Fenzl and Meisner have already undertaken a number of families, even partly finished them already.

Sonder organized the series 'Plantae Muellerianae' in Linnaea, vols 25, 26, 28 and 29. See n. 4 to M to A. Gregory, 13 May 1855, for a list of the authors who participated in the listing and, if necessary, the description of M's South Australian (and some Victorian) collections. Neither Fenzl nor Bartling had papers in the series; Miquel agreed to undertake the but to ensure rapid publication he agreed with Sonder that the listing could appear elsewhere; see W. Sonder to F. Miquel, 25 January 1856 (in this edition as M56-01-25), and Miquel (1856). Sonder also sought through Johann Areschoug to enlist Elias Fries in the project, to do the fungi, but this did not eventuate; see W. Sonder to J. Areschoug, 7 January 1854 (J. E. Areschoug Saml., Library, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm).

I would count myself fortunate if you also would participate in the elaboration of these interesting plants. Several small families are available for you e. g. , , , , . Or have you a fancy for the ? Perhaps you are interested in the , which is strongly represented by the genus (about 30 species).

You could keep most of the species or probably all for your herbarium.

I ask you not to deny your assistance if your time allows it, and to inform me by some lines in what manner I should send the plants to you

Respectfully

Your

most humble

W. Sonder