From George Bentham   15 October 1861

Kew Octr 15 1861

My dear Sir

On my return to town from a short tour, Sir William Hooker has communicated to me your letter of the 23d July,1 and I lose no time in expressing to you my gratification at the liberal manner in which you have met my proposals relating to the Australian Flora, a further proof of your well known zeal for science, and of the disinterestedness of your labours in the investigation of the botanical treasures of the Australian Colonies. I have no hesitation in acceding to the stipulations contained in your letter and I accept thankfully the loan of your standard herbarium in successive portions on the proposed conditions.

With regard to the title page, upon consulting with Sir William and Dr Hooker as to the most suitable mode of meeting your wishes, we propose to draw it up as follows:

 

Flora Australasica

A description

of

the Flowering Plants and Ferns

of the

Australian Colonies

by

George Bentham Pres. Linn. Soc.

with the assistance of notes and descriptions

communicated by

Ferdinand Mueller Ph. & M.D. F.R.S.

Government Botanist to the Colony of Victoria Director of the Botanical and Zoological Garden of Melbourne, President of the Philosophical Institute of Victoria &c.2

Published under the authority of the Colonial Governments of ..... 3

 

The answers already received to Sir William Hooker's applications to the Governors of the several Colonies appear to be so far satisfactory as to leave little doubt that the requisite funds will be forthcoming, and I shall immediately proceed with the preparation of the work[.]4 I should therefore feel obliged if you would, at your earliest convenience, despatch the first portion of your herbarium and notes — that is: the Thalamiflorae including those Calyciflorous families which in de Candolle's Prodromus5 precede the Leguminosae, as these orders must be worked up with the Thalamiflorae.

I remain

my dear Sir

yours very sincerely

George Bentham

 

Dr Ferd Mueller6

 

Leguminosae

Thalamiflorae

See M to W. Hooker, 23 July 1861.
President of the Philosophical Institute of Victoria &c has been crossed out, presumably by M. See M to G. Bentham, 24 December 1861.
The work as published had a slightly simplified title: Flora Australiensis: A description of the Plants of the Australian Territory. By George Bentham, F.R.S., P.L.S., assisted by Ferdinand Mueller, M.D., F.R.S. & L.S., Government Botanist, Melbourne, Victoria. Published under the authority of the several Governments of the Australian Colonies.
editorial addition.
A. P. de Candolle (1823-73).
See M to G. Bentham, 24 December 1861 in which M reports that the first consignment from his herbarium is about to be despatched.

Please cite as “FVM-61-10-15,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells accessed on 28 March 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/61-10-15