From George Bentham   23 July 1865

25, WILTON PLACE, S.W.

July 23/65¹

My dear Sir

I write a few lines to say that being in town for a day or two (my vacation time has commenced) I find your letter of the 21st April and at the same time yours of the 25th August 1864 which came with it to Sir W. Hooker's three days since.

Mr Woolls I know has been proposed at the Linnean Society but I forget whether the election has taken place or whether is is to be at the next meeting.² At any rate he either has had or will have the usual formal notice of it.

The specimens you sent by the mail have also arrived — I shall look over and examine the Myrtaceae when I finally revise my MSS — as I have already written out all but Eucalyptus.

Of those belonging to the last vols. Macintyria is a Xanthophyllum not distinguishable from the common Indian X. flavescens unless it be by the albumen. But recent researches have shown that the presence or absence of albumen varies in different closely allied species in this genus as in the thick-seeded Polygalas

Pithecolobium Vaillantii is a very remarkable plant being strictly a congener of the Brazilian Affonseas of which it has the habit, simply pinnate leaves, flowers and plurality of pistels You will find three species described and one figured in Hook. Lond Journ. vol 5

Gillbeea appears to me to be a new and distinct genus of Tiliaceae although in many respects allied to Columbia[.]³ I find 4 to 6 ovules in each cell of the ovary the leaves in the specimen you sent are simple though they at first sight appear pinnate

The name Irvingia is preoccupied by a genus of Hookers in Simarubeae Trans Linn Soc XXIII. 167 and Gen. [Pl.] 314⁴

I have not had time to examine Weinmannia Biagiana but from your character I cannot agree with you in putting it into Weinmannia and surely you cannot have examined the flowers and fruits of a true Geissois if you stil consider that this genus ought to be united to Weinmannia. To me Weinmannia as limited by Hooker and adopted from him in my Flora appears to me a genus constant in habit and character in America Africa Asia Australia and New Zealand, and readily distinguished from all others except Cunonia.

I am glad to hear you are sending Compositae. Myrtaceae (supposing Eucalyptus to contain as you estimate 100 species) will include only about 570 species and I should think that Umbelliferae and other small Calyciflorous families can scarcely exceed 200 which would leave room in the volume for at least 600 Compositae

Many thanks about the money you promise for the 3d vol., but there is no hurry. It will take me at least the whole winter to finish it, for although I anticipate nothing near so tedious as the Chamaelaucieae Baeckeas etc., still I have Eucalyptus yet before me. I cannot indeed undertake the elaborate details of this genus which you propose, that cannot be done upon dried specimens alone (which in this genus are necessarily so very imperfect) all I can do is to identify as much as possible old published species and give such an enumeration as I can compile.⁵ I had been in hopes that you would have monographised the genus before I came to it and now I must leave it to you to prepare a complete monograph with proper illustrations which can only be properly done in the country with your means and talents and which you might make a lasting monument to your memory

Yours very sincerely

George Bentham

Even if this 3d vol. takes me two years I am engaged to the public that it shall make up for the deficiency of the last and contain at least 1400 species

You will have heard from Kew of the despatch of the two boxes of Myrtaceae etc.

I see you mention (Fragm V, 16) a Geissois Benthamiana. Pray do not publish any such. I forbore giving a specific name to what I presumed to be an Australian Geissois because it is doubtful, the spike of capsules and the leaves may belong to totally different plants and it is an unwarrantable infliction on science to publish species which cannot be recognised. If the plant I alluded to be a true Geissois then let it receive a proper specific name and you know I have a horror of all Benthamianas and other botanical compliments.

Affonsea

Baeckea

Chamaelaucieae

Columbia

Compositae

Cunonia

Eucalyptus

Geissois Benthamiana

Gillbeea

Irvingia

Macintyria

Myrtaceae

Pithecolobium Vaillantii

Polygala

Tiliaceae

Umbelliferae

Weinmannia Biagiana

Xanthophyllum flavescens