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From Ferdinand von Mueller to Henry Barkly   29 Aug 1863

29/8/63.

Sir Henry.

I beg to offer for your Excellencys kind acceptance a specimen of Barklya syringifolia from poor Leichhardts herbarium with the original authographic label of that unfortunate traveller attached, thinking your Excellency may value it, as Dr Leichhardt must have been the first discoverer of the plant, unless it is burried in the unrevealed collections of R.Br. or A. Cunn. As your Excellency will observe the plant was found as early as 1. Aug. 1843, but at the time when I established the systematic position of this genus1 I could not possibly be aware of the fact, as then the Leichhardtian collections were not yet released by Sir Will. Denison from their long obscurity. They suffered a good deal from the damp of the Cellar of the Sydney Museum, but I think this specimen is retainable.

My Caesalpineae being in Bentham's hands I have unfortunately no seed of Barklya available from the carpological specimens, but have asked Mr Hill of Brisbane to procure some. A living plant will however be packed in your Excellencys case and I feel sure find a genialer clime in Mauritius then2 here.3

With deep regards

Yours

Ferd. Mueller.4

Barklya syringifolia

Caesalpineae

1

M erected Barklya (B. syringifolia) in B59.02.02, p. 158.

2

than?

3

Barkly left office as Governor of Victoria when Charles Darling succeeded him on 11 September 1863; he sailed to take up his appointment as Governor of Mauritius later that month. See M to W. Hooker, 25 September 1863 (in this edition as 63-09-25b).

4

MS is accompanied by a later note in M's hand:

Note from Veitch's journal published in the Gardeners' chronicle 1866, 148.

Barklya syringifolia quite covered with long racemes of bright yellow flowers. This would prove in all probability a most ornamental plant for greenhouse and conservatory culture in England, as it flowers naturally in a dwarf state and few plants create more effect.

5

MS accompanied by an envelope addressed in M's hand: 'His Excellency | Sir Henry Barkly KCB | &c &c &c | Ferd. Mueller | Melbourne' and annotated in another hand, 'Sending Leichdt's specimen of Barklya syringifolia'.

Please cite as “FVM-63-08-29,” 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 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/63-08-29