24/6/62
Dear Mr Bentham.
I am glad to learn, that the boxes pr Young Australian & pr Great Britain arrived. Pray bear in mind, that I have run the risk of sending the magnificent set of Rutaceae pr Dover Castle under the care of the surgeon Dr Thomson, without having secured a bill of loading. The Dover Castle sailed end of March, must therefore now about be in London & has probably already left again before this letter will reach you. The 4. box went end of April pr Orwell under bill of loading.
I have an other box ready for one of the next clippers. The cause of the delay in sending more as yet I have explained to Dr Hooker2 It will be marvellous if you finish Thalamiflorae by Christmas & as my health is somewhat fluctuating I fear I shall not be able to proceed with the flora of Victoria as I have begun, because I could not well trust the specimens away on a seavoyage before having worked them up for the Vict flora and fear if you go on so rapidly I shall be obliged to abridge my writings extremely on Victorian plants so as to keep pace with you.
I have now at last after the passing of the estimates arranged, that the £100 for the [1] vol. are payable to your [order] by the Agent General of Victoria in London and the necessary draft goes by this mail to that Gentleman.
I have sent you by this mail 2 new genera of Rutaceae Bosistoa & Coatesia.3 They are established on imperfect material, perhaps you have described them already. The curious Eriostemon? cymosus will probably also be a new genus. If so you might name it Lachnostemon.4 That Cookia Australis is an Ailantus, which genus comprises dotless & dotted species, I think I mentioned. I know 5 Austr. sp & described 35
Is there no possibility of receiving proof-sheets of your genera?6 I long much for them & could probably furnish additional information. In what sequence will you publish the Australian orders? This I would like to know, so that I may send you the necessary Calyciflorae first. Your notes on Rhamneae please me much I have a very large set of them & will work them up early without anticipating your publications. For such excellent manuscript notes as these on Rhamneae & former ones on Dilleniaceae I shall always be truly obliged.7
I will make haste in getting you in possession of the remainder of Thalamiflorae, but I would not advise you to overhasten the work, as it will involve very much careful inquiry into the limits of species which altho' fixed in nature require often great patience for us to trace.
I looked to day over my huge set of Swainsonae & am sure it will be a weeks heavy work to limit the species properly, so that the student going with his guide book into the field could array every form under its proper specific head.
Dr Hooker sent me a small paper photograph of his, which I value much.8 Would you do me the honor of sending me yours also?
Pray quote no synonyms of mine, when not established by diagnosis, even altho' the names might have been printed.9
Upon a few new Thalamiflorous genera I have written to Dr Hooker.10
Will it be best for me to keep additions to the species of the orders now sent (which since were got & they are daily increasing) until I can get the proof-sheets or shall I send them at once to you?
Ever yours with
true friendship
Ferd Mueller
If I had the proof-sheets these new species needed not to go at all, unless in doubtful cases, & my supplemental notes on them would come to you in time.
Ailantus
Bosistoa
Calyciflorae
Coatesia
Cookia Australis
Dilleniaceae
Eriostemon cymosus
Lachnostemon
Rhamneae
Rutaceae
Swainsonae
Thalamiflorae
Please cite as “FVM-62-06-24b,” 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 26 July 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/62-06-24b