29/9/65
Venerable and dearest friend.
I despatch to day the 27th box of dry plants to Kew. It contains rather more than ⅓of the Compositae, which Mr Bentham desires according to his last letter to examine as material for his 3. volume.1 I was under the impression that the Myrtaceae would together with several other calyciflorous orders cover the 3 volume; hence I did not send the Compositae before, though they were lying ready for nearly a year. The present consignment comprises 26 packages It is a real treasure & [were]2 the collection to get lost it could never be restored. Indeed I kept nothing back, except a few trifling plants, which I intend to diagnostify in my next "Fragmenta”, thus 2 new Spilanthi, a new Eupatorium & a few others.3 I have now also Ageratum conyzoides from N.E. Australia.
In the box pr Kent I enclosed for the purposes of filling up vacant space a large specimen of Sarcophycus potatorum.Would you be so kind to see it sent to Dr Sonder when ever a consignment from Kew is to go to that Gentleman. He has particularly asked me to procure a plant with a view of enquiring further into the nature of its fructification.
A report on my departmental work is submitted to Parliament.4
your regardful
Ferd Mueller
Could not a few roots of Crocus autumnalis be sent to us? We have as yet not the plant in Australia.
Ageratum conyzoides
Compositae
Crocus autumnalis
Eupatorium
Myrtaceae
Sarcophycus potatorum
Spilanthes
Please cite as “FVM-65-09-29a,” 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 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/65-09-29a