From George Bentham   18 February 1866

25, WILTON PLACE, S.W.

London

18 Feby 1866

My dear Sir

The "Yorkshire" by which you sent the second box of Compositae is I see reported as arrived so that I presume in a few days we shall have the box at Kew. You mention again having paid the freight and I can only again beg you not to prepay the freight on the boxes for I can get the freight paid here by the Kew Establishment on the boxes that come from Melbourne but I cannot manage prepaying those that are sent from Kew. If you will let me know the amount you have paid for the freight of packages one way I will myself remit it you. There are great official difficulties in getting any such sums from the Kew Establishment.

I have got through the small families before Umbelliferae and nearly finished Umbelliferae — I wish our European genera of this order were as easy and distinct as the Australian ones prove to be if we absorb several of the monotypic ones in the great ones. Thus Trachymene (Rudge non DC) includes Didiscus and Dimetopia, Siebera Reichb. (Trachymene DC non Rudge) takes in Platysace Xanthosia includes Leucolaena Schoenolaena and Pentapeltis, Actinotus includes Holotome and Hemiphues, Azorella (a name 11 years older than Fragosa) includes as shown by A. Gray & Weddell not only Pozoa but Microsciadium and Dichopetalum and thus extended the limits of each genus are at present remarkably definite. To me it appears that the constant characters are to be taken chiefly from the petals and the fruit — very little from the calyx.

You mention a Casearia — We have one from Queensland which was amongst your doubtful Celastrineae and which I am unable to distinguish from C. esculenta Roxb.¹ You will find it in the next box which I shall pack up very shortly.

I have at length finished the revision of Myrtaceae with Brown's splendid collection. I hope now to get on rapidly with Araliaceae Loranthaceae Rubiaceae etc and to begin printing at the end of next month — but it will be some time before the volume is ready for I must take in at least the greater part of Compositae.

I have been examining the flowering specimens you sent of your Cuttsia. It appears to me to be the same as Abrophyllum but in another sexual state. The Cuttsia has exserted stamens and a small gynaecium the Abrophyllum short stamens and a more developed gynaecium — a semisexual dimorphism which occurs in several Saxifrageous arborescent genera. As to the fruit we described that of Abrophyllum as succulent and indehiscent as it appears to be from Cunningham's specimens — but these are not quite ripe although the seeds appear to be fully formed, and it is very possible that it may ultimately harden and open in valves as you describe of the Cuttsia. Comparing the flowering specimens of Cuttsia and Abrophyllum it is difficult to doubt their identity. It is to be hoped that further researches will fully clear this up.

Ever yours sincerely

George Bentham

Dr Ferd Mueller FRS

I have ascertained from Vienna² that I was right in my suspicion that Eucalyptus eximia Schau was the Blue Mountain Bloodwood to which I had given Browns name of E. nitida — I must therefore beg you to alter E. nitida to E. eximia.

Abrophyllum

Actinotus

Araliaceae

Azorella

Casearia

Compositae

Cuttsia

Dichopetalum

Didiscus

Dimetopia

Eucalyptus eximia

Eucalyptus nitida

Fragosa

Hemiphues

Holotome

Leucolaena

Loranthaceae

Microsciadium

Pentapeltis

Platysace

Pozoa

Rubiaceae

Schoenolaena

Siebera

Trachymene

Umbelliferae

Xanthosia