To [George Bentham] 1    September 1863

[after 7 September 1863]2

 

By the "Monarch" the rest of the Leguminosae is shipped, also Melastomaceae, Combretaceae & Chrysobalaneae. From the latter I have excluded Stylobasium, as it evidently not belongs to that order; but I am not certain where it should be placed; perhaps in Phytolacceae as I suggested in the "plants of Victoria".3 Perhaps you favor me with your views on its affinity, so that I may send it in right time. Donatia has been mislaid, which I regret as it is uncertain, whether I shall be able to find the plant in time for you to compare.

I have however carefully compared it with the figure & description published by Dr Hooker4 & I found it absolutely identical with the NZ plant. Dr Hooker overlooked it in the suppl. to the Tasmanian flora,5 altho’ I believe that I forwarded specimina to Kew.6 It is as yet only found on Mt Laperouse in Tasmania where it grows with Gingidium procumbens, Dracophyllum minimum & other very rare plants. I adopt the name Bauera rubiaefolia, as rubioides is ungrammatical. The genus was established by Banks, not by Kennedy or Andrews. I adopt 3 species B. rubiaefolia, B. capitata & B. sessiliflora7

 

Bauera capitata

Bauera rubiaefolia

Bauera rubioides

Bauera sessiliflora

Chrysobalaneae

Combretaceae

Donatia

Dracophyllum minimum

Gingidium procumbens

Leguminosae

Melastomaceae

Phytolacceae

Stylobasium

 
1
The correspondent is assumed to be Bentham, because of the subject matter and style of the letter. It may be a fragment of, or a post-script to, another letter.
2
editorial addition. Dated by reference to RB MSS M 44 , Notebook recording despatch of plants for Bentham for Flora australiensis , Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. The plants mentioned as sent were contained in boxes 16 and 17, sent on Monarch, which sailed on 7 September 1863.
3
B62.03.03, p. 197.
4
Donatia Novae-Zelandiae ; see J. Hooker (1853-5), vol. 1, p. 81, t. 20.
5
M is probably referring to the 'Additions, corrections &c' in J. Hooker (1855 -60), vol. 2, pp. 355-76.
6
The undated specimen at Kew ( K000060007) was collected by Oldfield on the summit of Mt La Perouse, Tas, and is cited in Bentham (1863-78), vol. 2, p. 450. M mentions a specimen collected from the same locality by Stuart (B63.09.01, p. 3).
7
B63.09.01, pp. 23-42.

Please cite as “FVM-63-09-00,” 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 23 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/63-09-00