To William Hooker   15 April 1859

Melbourne bot. & zool

Garden 15. Apr 59

My dear & venerable Sir William

Again the postbag has arrived & I will certainly not let it pass without writing a short communication, however hasty I shall be obliged to compile it.

I have lately with great admiration perused Dr Hookers paper on Balanophorae.¹ I observe, that your celebrated son is not aware of the probable existence of a plant of this order in N Zealand. [Such] seems to be [case,] for there is in an octavo work published by a visitor to that island a woodcut given, of what surely belongs to this family. Unfortunately I forget the name of the author of the work, but Dr Bennett, whom you will have ere this welcomed in Old England, will be able to point it out to Dr Hooker, because I saw the book soon after its publication in our friends library.² What I enclose in this letter may possibly also belong to this order & if so it will constitute a new genus, which Dr Hooker might name Woollsia after the gentleman who communicated to me the only specimen which is yet found (in the vicinity of Moreton Bay) and of which I beg to enclose the best part.³ It will not only be of the utmost interest to me but also of a great guidance, if I receive, as Dr Hooker promised, the list of the 500 plants of India, which Dr Hookers profound knowledge of the Indian Flora has revealed [now] satisfactory in Australian Botany. Possibly this list does not yet contain the Ipomoea Quamoclit, which I received only a few days ago collected quite wild in the forest near Rockhampton.

That I am in possession of your munificent contribution towards my library, I have gratefully acknowledged by last mail.⁴ My report on Mr Babbage's collection⁵ will no doubt have reached you. That on Mr Gregorys last plants is not yet printed altho 6 months ago in the hands of the N.S. Wales government.⁶

The son of Dr Howitt (proceeding home by the mail vessel) has kindfully undertaken to convey to you a parcel of 538 spec. of chiefly Australian seeds.⁷ It is the largest collection, which we can muster this year, and I hope it will be acceptable as containing many species found on the Darling- some new (as you will see in the 5. No of the Fragmenta [nearly] ready at the printers office. [Rutter], who is surgeon of one of the clippers will bring you a parcel with specimens & the continuation will follow by Dr [ ]⁸ the surgeon of the Avon. Pray let Dr Hooker not send the Flora Tasmanica, as I have since some time received it from my Melbourne Bookseller & ordered and prepaid for the remainder of the work. It would be [immodest] if I should trouble you or Dr Hooker with any solicitations for works, that are obtainable in the ordinary way of commerce.

Should not the Banksia cones, which Dr Hooker received as collected by Mr Gregory in N. Australia, be those of B. dentata burried in the deluvium & thus indurated?

With my most earnest wishes for your health

I remain, my very dear Sir William,

your ever attached & grateful

Ferd. Mueller.

Balanophorae

Banksia dentata

Ipomoea Quamoclit

Woollsia