To George Bentham   10 September 1863

Melb. bot. Garden

10/9/63.

Dear Mr Bentham.

The rest of the Leguminosae has been sent to you pr "Monarch" in the first days of this month. I trust that they will prove interesting to you and augment largely the material for the second volume.¹ Your unrivalled knowledge of Leguminosae will enable you to furnish us with a lucid rearrangement of the genera. I feel we have too many. Is not Meisners Goodia lotifolia = G. medicaginea, which I called so² from some habitual resemblance to Medicago arborea.

Perhaps you have authentic specimina of Sweets G. retusa, which I cannot recognize from the short phrase.³ Of Swainsona you receive a magnificent & instructive series of forms. The species are evidently very variable in inflorescence, indument, color &c. I find S. phacoides assumes occasionally orange colored flowers; is therefore not perhaps S. galegifolia = G. coronillifolia? I had no time to examine the specimens with critical care, but trust they will travel safely to & fro, so that I can work them up after you for the flora of Victoria[.] I have a few singular forms of Swainsona from the desert temporary named, such a S. oroboides, S. Burkei &c, but am not sure, that they are not mere extreme forms of other species.⁴ Cyclogyne = Swainsona, as I pointed out in the Fragmenta.⁵ Eutaxia I combine with Dillwynia. Phyllota with Aotus. Nematophyllum appears to be a good genus. It differs from Goodia in habit, partially unifoliolate leaves, persistent stipules and bracteoles, inflorescence, form of Calyx, the concrescence of the carinal petals on their anterior part, imperfectly septate and somewhat patellar strophiole. It is neither combinable with Bossiaea.

What is Swainsona Froebelii of Regels Gartenflora.⁶ Leptocyamus may contain but one Australian species, altho' I have not carefully examined my material. It has not the upturned rostrum to the pod as G. labialis. Would it not be best to obliterate the genus Glycine, which has become so ambiguous, and place G. labialis a Leptocyamus. Are the anthers really not always either all fertile or half-sterile. Hitherto I considered this a generic character in Leguminosae. The Yellow flowered Vignas described by you and which are so near to V. Catjang I combine as Dolichos Benthami.⁷ I cannot see more than subgeneric value in Vigna.

Psoralea pannosa of former sendings contains varieties not well responding to the specific name,⁸ hence I have altered it into P. Archeri.⁹ P. parva may be a var of P. tenax. Once I held the color of the flowers of Psoralea of importance, but I find them now not so, as certainly P. patens occurs rarely with blue flowers & usually with pink. P. tenax has usually blue P. parva usually pink flowers. Is P. patens really distinct from P. plicata? Of Leichhardts plants I have selected what I considered of interest from the Leguminosae. The bulk of them repeats what we have better in other collections, and they are too ill preserved as to render it desirable to send them all.

I believe that on a former occasion I alluded already to Mr Daniel Bunce as having gathered plants [on] Dr Leichhardts second (short) expedition.¹⁰ I recognize now his handwriting with certainty and you will easily distinguish it from Leichhardts; so I would recommend that in regard to these particular plants their names should be quoted conjointly; The number of Bunce's specimens is few compared with Leichhardts general collection.

That the second hundred pounds are sent by last mail to the Colonial Agent I have mentioned by last mail.¹¹

Pray stimulate Mr Reeves to the despatch of the 30 copies for our Government as early as possible. I think it would not be liked, if the booksellers (who always import by the overland mail) had the work before the Government.¹²

I enclose a note upon my new genus Diplolobium.¹³ It has the foliage of Swainsona & Astragalus, and I should have combined it with the latter genus, were its pods not two-seeded & very readily breaking into two closed mericarps. In looking over my carpological collections of Leguminosae, I found the remnants of flowers herewith forwarded.

Is not Physolobium a mere variety of Kennedya prostrata, which varies with slightly and exceedingly turgid pods! If Physolobium is something different I have never seen the plant.

The cases (4) pr Prince of Wales arrived & the contents are (I am glad to say) again dry & safe in our Museum, altho the soldering of the seems¹⁴ of the metal lids to the case was so imperfectly done, that large fissures were left open. This work was evidently done by an inexperienced man, and had the cases been placed on a moist spot or exposed to leakage, the contents would not have been preserved by the metal coating. Will you kindly give instructions to prevent similar dangers? By the "Monarch", which sailed on the 7. Sept. you will receive in two cases the rest of the Leguminosae. To fill up the second box I added Melastomeae, Chrysobalaneae and Combretaceae. The latter order is highly interesting & the series of forms of most of the species is good. I shall send by the "Norfolk", which is to sail by the 19 of the month the remaining collections, required for your second volume. Amongst these the Saxifrageae in their grand arborescent form are highly interesting. Donatia is omitted by Dr Hooker as a Tasmanian plant together with Panax sambucifolius and a few other plants from that Island.¹⁵ Would it not be well to obtain also Dr Milligans collections for comparison. He took his herbarium home with him and his adress could be made out at the British Museum.

I have not Eremosyne and if you have a small specimen to spare at Kew I should feel thankful, though Endlicher or rather Bauer figured it well.¹⁶ The lignotideous Carallia occurs not like the true Rhizophoreae on the saline aestuaries.

What is Dolichos reticulatus Aiton from Australia, referred to also in Wallich's list?¹⁷ & by Steudel in the Nomenclator¹⁸ Bruguiera Australis All. Cunn., republished by Miquel in fl. Ind. Batav¹⁹ seems identical with B. Rheedei²⁰ Blume. In my last letter I suggested, that simultaneous with the present publication a cryptogamic series of volumes for the flora of Australia might be commenced. If you think it desirable I will at once send what I have for the purpose of revision. Is not Calotropis tricolor Don²¹ (Galega tricolor Hook fl. exot.)²² a Tephrosia?

Indigofera ervoides, I. brevidens & I. lasiantha appear reducible to I. Australia.²³ All the Kennedyae ( including Zichya & Hardenbergia) appear to me to form only seven species. I have not worked up the Papilionaceae for the Vict. Flora, but will (to ease your work) attend as far as I can to the subsequent orders.

Glancing over your volume it appears to me, that Mr Woolls name but scantily appears. I have, in the immensity of work, which surrounds me, not had time to mark all his specimens with his name. But his handwriting, always in leadpencil, will be readily recognized. His contributions have been extensive and were always rendered gratuitously. I would advise to obtain Dr Milligans plants. He has much from Flinders Island in his private collection and many of his plants are not at Kew. The Doctors adress may be made out at the British Museum. Some notes upon the habitats of certain Leguminosae I have to send by next mail.²⁴ As I do not intend to work up the Leguminosae Papilionaceae, the next shipments will follow in rapid succession. What means have we of ascertaining what Acacia dodonaeifolia is? Wendlands figure & description are imperfect.²⁵ But original specimens might be got from Hannover. My A. dodonaeifolia is probably not his; hence I would like to call it A. visciflua.²⁶

I believe Wendland's plant is an E. Australia one and one of the many forms of A. leprosa. Through Fenzl it might be readily ascertained, what A. angustifolia is. Its calyx (not of free sepals) seems to distinguish it from A. suaveolens.

Trusting that you be long spared us in uninterrupted health so that you may pursue your luminous path with accustomed vigor,

I remain, dear Mr Bentham,

your attached

Ferd. Mueller

Many thanks for your shipping 4 cases pr Prince of Wales. But would it not be well to send not too many by one ship, in order to diminish risk?

Pray give me the names of the special orders you intend to elaborate in vol II, so that I may be in time with my contributions.

Is the byefollowing Mimosa really new?

In Leptocyamus clandestinus we have as well pinnately as digitately trifoliolate leaves.²⁷

²⁸I regard it most advisable to unite Euchilus with Pultenaea, as also Spadostylis.²⁹ The position of the leaves, whether alternating or opposite, is not of generic value in my opinion, because we have in Daviesia also sp. with opposite leaves. These would require to be placed into a separate new genus, if the distinction between Euchilus & Pultenaea are kept up. Eutaxia has on the same grounds to be placed with Dillwynia and so Sclerothamnus. My Eutaxia sparsifolia I have redescribed for the fragmenta as Dillwynia patens.³⁰ In a readjustment of the genera I go a step f[a]rther th[a]n you by uniting not only Podolob.³¹ & Callistachys to Oxylobium,³² but all these also to Chorizema,³³ the oldest of the 4. I have a great piety for old genera, but when they are absolutely untenable, I think we are justified in obliterating them for the sake of logical lucid systematic arrangements[.] I see no difference between Daviesia collitioides and D. physodes. That Podolobium scandens, P. procumbens, Oxylobium spinosum and Mirbelia Baxteri are all the same = Chorizema scandens Sm you will have also, no doubt, ascertained. I have now to offer a few remarks on the range of certain species of Leguminosae Will be only able to send this by next mail³⁴

Amongst Hovea I have a curious new species. (H. acanthoclada) with thornlike branchlets & minute leaves. The eastern Hoveae seem all reducible to 2 or 3 sp. Euchilus I unite with Spadostylis to Pultenaea. There is quite as much difference in the calyx of the genus Bossiaea as in the so extended genus Pultenaea. Stipules & strophioles seem to me of sufficient value to build upon them generic distinctions. I adopt for Spadostylis Cunninghami the name Pultenaea ternata, under which the plant was sent to Kew many years ago. Mr Black in his list of identifications gave me that of Spadostylis Cunninghami for my plant. Dillwynia (Eutaxia) empetrifolia, so common in the E. desert I have now also from S. W. Australia. Many Murray plants strech quite around the Great Bight.

Since writing the above I have more closely looked on Chorizemata. The presense of strophioles in Chorizema (Callistachys) linearis is curious and the presense of stipules in Oxylob. alpestre and their absence in Choriz (Oxylobium) ellipticum seems also remarkable. Of³⁵ therefore these two characters cannot be relied on, many of the genera of Leguminosae are swept away. There are again exceedingly minute stipules in [some] Phyllota, which either must go back to Pultenaea, or as I propose be united with Aotus, as all those examined by me have no strophiole. They would form however a section. Oxycladium I unite with Mirbelia after the discovery of an other leafless species (M. oxyclada)

Bosistoa has often only [5] leaflets.³⁶

Acacia angustifolia

Acacia dodonaeifolia

Acacia leprosa

Acacia suaveolens.

Acacia visciflua

Aotus

Astragalus

Bosistoa

Bossiaea

Bruguiera Australis

Bruguiera Rheedei

Callistachys linearis

Calotropis tricolor

Carallia

Chorizema ellipticum

Chorizema scandens

Chrysobalaneae

Combretaceae

Cyclogyne

Daviesia colletioides

Daviesia physodes

Dillwynia empetrifolia

Dillwynia patens

Diplolobium

Dolichos Benthami

Dolichos reticulatus

Donatia

Eremosyne

Euchilus

Eutaxia empetrifolia

Eutaxia sparsifolia

Galega tricolor

Glycine labialis

Goodia lotifolia

Goodia medicaginea

Goodia retusa

Hardenbergia

Hoveae acanthoclada

Indigofera brevidens

Indigofera ervoides

Indigofera lasiantha

Kennedya prostrata

Leguminosae

Leptocyamus clandestinus

Medicago arborea

Melastomeae

Mimosa

Mirbelia Baxteri

Mirbelia oxyclada

Nematophyllum

Oxylobium alpestre

Oxylobium ellipticum

Oxylobium spinosum

Panax sambucifolius

Papilionaceae

Phyllota

Physolobium

Podolobium procumbens

Podolobium scandens

Psoralea Archeri

Psoralea pannosa

Psoralea parva

Psoralea patens

Psoralea plicata

Psoralea tenax

Pultenaea ternata

Rhizophoreae

Saxifrageae

Sclerothamnus

Spadostyles Cunninghami

Swainsona Burkei

Swainsona coronillifolia

Swainsona Froebelii

Swainsona galegifolia

Swainsona oroboides

Swainsona phacoides

Tephrosia

Vigna Catjang

Zichya