To William Hooker ¹    24 April 1862

Melb. bot. Garden,

24/4/62

Dear Sir William.

I have to acknowledge your friendly communications of 3 different dates by last mail,² and am obliged indeed for all the interest you continue to evince towards my labours & for your manyfold tokens of kindness, crowned by the dedication of the last truly splendid vol of the bot. Magazine, a kindness which I shall ever vividly bear in mind & for which I repeat my best thanks.³ I send a few novelties — Symplocos will interest you. I think Dr Wights view is best, to place the Symploceae near Caprifoliaceae or near some order allied to Myrtaceae.⁴

From Mr Bentham I have not heard during the last two or three mails. Probably he is on the continent.⁵ I feel however sure, that after the arrival of my first consignment of plants, which must have now reached him, I shall enjoy monthly his communications. I am for instance not quite certain in what succession he may require the various orders of Thalamiflorae, which are so numerous. The fourth case will go by the "Orwell" this week & contains

	fasc.
Bixaceae & Cochlosperm	1
Elatineae	1
Elaeocarpeae	2
Tiliaceae(verae)	1
Zygophylleae	1
Polygaleae	2
Malpighiaceae	1
Tremandreae	2
Sclerantheae	1
Oxalideae	1
Lineae	1
Caryophyll.(verae)	1
Geraniaceae	1
Total pr Orwell	16

By the Dover Castle on the 27. March I sent, under the special care of the surgeon Dr Thomson

Violarinae	Fasc	1
Rutaceae		17
Total pr Dover Castle		18.

I wrote by the ships mail; so as I have no bill of loading I hope Mr Bentham will kindly secure the box at once after the arrival of the Dover Castle, as the agents & owners of the ship would not be responsible for it.

Mr Bentham will find the long series of forms of Rutaceae instructive in the highest degree.

I have relinquished my seat in the Council of our Royal Society, where I was Office bearer ever since 1854, when I aided in the formation of the Society; also my seat in the Explor. Committee, merely to gain more time & taking a more prominent share in Benthams work. I would like to work up some orders myself, as far as my material goes, which could then easily be completed by Mr Bentham. Perhaps I take up Myrtaceae & Rhamnaceae. I might also work up the Sapindaceae & some more orders of Thalamiflorae, if I had Dr Hookers genera plantarum⁶ in time. I would be so glad, if I could obtain in a similar way proofsheets, as Dr Hance received the Hong Kong flora,both of the genera plantarum & the Austral. flora.

There will be 3 or 4 cases yet of Thalamiflorae to send, and then it will be perhaps necessary to send the supplemental collections, which are rapidly accumulating. Whether I should work out these here (after receipt of proof sheets) or whether I should send them finally also, will be for Mr Benthams consideration.

The bountiful supply of herbaceous seeds was brought by Mr G. M'Leay himself & indeed I am thankful for so large a variety of species new to our Garden. The Nile papyrus seems to have died on its way to Sydney but I am promised to receive part of the other waterplants from Mr W. S M'Leay.⁷

Would you kindly give me your opinion on the supposed new Bixineous genus enclosed. That the genus Sturtia is only a subgenus of Gossypium you will observe by the enclosed fragments.

Sir Ch. Nicholson went home and passed through Melbourne, without my having had an opportunity to bid him farewell. I am usually so absorbed in my departmental work, that I do not learn of any visits of distinguished men.

The living plants per Suffolk and by overland mail (the latter under Mr M'Leays care) I hope will reach you in safety.

Ever yours

Ferd Mueller

Bixaceae

Caprifoliaceae

Caryophyllaceae

Cochlospermeae

Elaeocarpeae

Elatineae

Geraniaceae

Gossypium

Lineae

Malpighiaceae

Myrtaceae

Myrtaceae

Oxalideae

Polygaleae

Rhamnaceae

Rutaceae

Sapindaceae

Sclerantheae

Sturtia

Symploceae

Symplocos

Thalamiflorae

Tiliaceae

Tremandreae

Violarinae

Zygophylleae