To William Hooker   23 November 1863

Melbourne bot Garden

23/11/63

Dear Sir William.

I was again honored by an exceedingly kind letter from you by last mail. I cannot express how gratified I am to learn, that you maintain your health so well and that you with so marvellous a vigor are able to prosecute your researches, which are certainly now more extensive than that of any other phytographer of this or former ages! — By some oversight my Rhizocarpeae were never sent in one of the former boxes, as intended, and so they come only now pr Result together with the first instalment of Myrtaceae for Mr Bentham.1 Our collector in North East Australia2 is likely by gradually penetrating into the recesses of the ranges able to reveal more of our tropical fern flora, and it will be highly pleasing to me if I can continue thereby to contribute from time to time a trifle towards the great work, on which you are and have been so ardently engaged. Would it be possible for one of your gardeners to send us a few spores of any extraaustralian ferns cultivated in your rich establishment? I have raised about 100 species of ferns recently from spores and am anxious to add to this little collection of graceful and thankful plants.

I think, dear Sir William, that you will find a good many duplicates for Kew herbarium in the cases as they are sent to Mr Bentham. Such, you will be aware, are quite at your service, as I consider it of the highest importance, that all our plants should be as fully as possible be represented in your incomparable collection. My herbarium is steadily increasing, embracing now in its Australian portion about 1000 fascicles.

I have recently secured Dr Steetz collection,3 which adds materially to the extra Australian portion, to which I owe such an splendid access also through Dr Hookers kindness.4

May you long be spared for science for your family & friends; that is the sincerest wish of

your admirer

& servant

Ferd. Mueller

Myrtaceae

Rhizocarpeae

1
Result sailed on 21 November 1863 (M notebook recording despatch of plants to Kew for Flora australiensis, RB MSS M44, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne).
2
John Dallachy.
3
Steetz’ herbarium, purchased for £80, probably consisted of about 5000 specimens. See Short (1990), p. 7, and Short & Sinkora (1988).
4
M had been sent specimens from the Herbarium Indiae orientalis of Joseph Hooker and Thompson (see M to J. O'Shanassy, 1 April 1859; M to W. Hooker, 15 March 1859; Maroske [2012]), and also specimens from other locations such as Syria (M to J. Hooker, 15 October 1859).

Please cite as “FVM-63-11-23,” 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 1 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/63-11-23