From George Bentham   25 February 1864

My dear Sir

As soon as I received the last box of Leguminosae in the beginning of last month I set about revising the Papilionaceae down to Hedysareae with your specimens and have now packed and sent off two boxes per "Suffolk" and hope to enclose the bill of lading — This took me abovea month — much longer than I expected. The Oxylobiums Gastrolobiums Mirbelias and Chorizemas were much mixed and I had to examine the ovaries of a great many specimens — but I remained further convinced that these genera connected as they are must be kept up. Chorizema appears to me to be readily distinguished by the keel — Mirbelias are sometimes more difficult to separate from Oxylobium, and Gastrolobiums can often only be determined by soaking the ovary. I had also a great deal of trouble again with Pultenaeas and Swainsonas — among the latter specimens that have not fruit as well as flower must often remain doubtful — somefrom Ridley's¹ Expedition to Nickol Bay & De Grey river in flower and fruit show that Diplolobium Walcottii is identical with S. occidentalis.

With your letter of Decr just received² were some specimens of "Oxylobium elachophyllum" this is O. hamulosum A. Gray Bot. Amer. Expl. Exped.³ a species closely allied to and perhaps not distinct from O. Pultenaeae DC. The latter is not in your herbarium — the one you mistook for it (Chorizema Pultenaeae F. Muell) is Chorizema parviflorum Benth in Ann Wien. Mus.⁴ — your Chorizema Leichhardtii is my Isotropis filicaulis Benth in Ann Wien Mus⁵ very nearly allied to but distinct from your Isotropis Wheeleri — I fear I must suppress also your Psoralea Leichhardtii which is the Indian Indigofera glandulosa. There are always 2 ovules, at least, the pod is at length 2-valved and the anthers are those of Indogofera not of Psoralea.

I am glad to hear you have obtained Steetz's herbarium⁶ as I have no doubt there is much in it authentically named — and his set of Preiss's plants is I dare to say as good as any — Sonder's is nearly complete and without it I should never have guessed at such species as for instance Steudel’s Steetz was not always quite accurate in his deteminations but yet much more so than many others who worked at Preiss's plants

The two boxes sent contain all the Podalyrieae except two or three parcels which were put to go but which would not go into the boxes — I have enough ready to fill another box but as you did not wish too many to go by the same vessel I keep them for next time.

I have just done Phaseoleae — then Dalbergieae are pretty well done for Genera and there are not above 2 or 3 Australian species and I think I shall only do the Australian Caesalpinieae so as to get as soon as possible to Acacia As soon as Leguminosae are done I shall commence printing.

With regard to keeping up Eugenia as Wight proposed⁷ I do not know how it can be done taking the American ones into account O. Berg⁸ has published between 400 & 500 Brasilian Eugenias in the most restricted sense — and I believe that half of them at least are good species.

I can assure you that all your plants are kept perfectly dry in the rooms in which I work — they are packed to return to you in the Herbarium and do not go at all to the tinsman’s shop nor out of the house — which is perfectly dry — till they are soldered up and closed when they are taken at once to the shipping agent's.⁹ I trust you will receive what are now sent in good order.

I have kept up your Oxylobium alpestre though with some hesitation — most of the specimens so marked which you first sent were the true O. ellipticum as you afterwards corrected them in your herbarium — and the two are certainly very much alike.

Maxwell's last plants from the eastward of Cape Riche are certainly very good — but most of them were already in Drummond's and Baxter's collections who both of them must have gone some way to the Eastward — this however gives you many of Turczaninow's — he published above 50 of Drummond's Papilionaceae.

Ever yours sincerely

George Bentham

Febr 25/64

The bill of lading is I believe sent to you direct from Kew

Caesalpinieae

Chorizema

Chorizema Leichhardtii

Chorizema parviflorum

Chorizema Pultenaeae

Dalbergieae

Diplolobium Walcottii

Eugenia

Gastrolobium

Hedysareae

Indigofera glandulosa

Isotropis filicaulis

Isotropis Wheeleri

Leguminosae

Mirbelia

Oxylobium alpestre

Oxylobium elachophyllum

Oxylobium ellipticum

Oxylobium hamulosum

Oxylobium Pultenaeae

Papilionaceae

Phaseoleae

Podalyrieae

Psoralea Leichhardtii

Pultenaea

Swainsona occidentalis