From Joseph Hooker1    1 March 1866

Kew March 1/66

My dear Mueller

I suppose that the Cyathea you mean is the C. Lindsayana of Synops. Fil.2 "Mt Lindsay W. Hill."3 I cannot find the specimens any where but doubtless they will [be] amongst some of the not intercalated bundles of my dear fathers Ferns.

I do not know whether my father sent you the 1st Part of Synops. Fil. I am sure he must have intended to do so, I send a copy in case, with this.4

The box of terrestrial Orchids has not yet arrived, nor the Mesembryanthemum australe var. You say that you have twice sent this plant but we have no note of ever having received it: I shall be greatly rejoiced to have it.5

The affair of my fathers Herb. & Library is not yet settled. Thanks for your kind offer of writing to Earl Russell. — but it would be too late I fear.6 A strong memorial has been signed by all Botanists & various lovers & Professors of Science & addressed to Govt on the subject. I offer the whole Herbm & selection of all the books wanted to complete the Library for £6000 — much less than they are worth, the books &c which include all Jacquins, Flora Graeca7 & lots of other most expensive large paper copies &c. But I have no wish to make a bargain, I wish that I could afford to have kept them up, but that I cannot do.8

I took notice of all Turczaninows NZ. plants,9 but find that they are not NZ. at all in most cases, being wrong both as to country & collector. Thank you for the offer of your NZ. Herb. to compare10 but I shall have no time for it now.

We have young plants of Tetragonia implexicoma & are training it up the rafters — it will not stand the open air in England.

The Xanthorrhoea is doing well. Papyrus is being prepared to go to you by first opportunity.

I send fresh ripe seeds of the Dracaena Draco just received from Cape de Verd Islands. There are 2 vars or species in cultivation, this & a broader leaved one, possibly they represent plants from Canaries & Cape de Verde respectively. Also good seeds of Convolvulus Scammonia.

Ever sincerely yrs

Jos D Hooker

 

We have but one plant of Gulielma but I will [see] if I can get plants for you.11

 

Convolvulus Scammonia

Cyathea Lindsayana

Dracaena Draco

Gulielma

Mesembryanthemum australe

Papyrus

Xanthorrhoea

 
1
MS black-edged, presumably for William Hooker. MS annotation by M: 'Mountain Rice'.
2
W. Hooker & J. Baker (1865-8), p. 25.
3
See M to J. Hooker, 6 December 1865.
4
W. Hooker just lived long enough to see part 1 published. The remaining 9 parts of the work were co-authored and completed by J. G. Baker with the help of Hooker's MSS and fern herbarium, viz. parts 2-10, 1866-8.
5
See M to J. Hooker 6 December 1865.
6
See M to J. Hooker 6 December 1865 .
7
Sibthorp (1806-40).
8
W. Hooker's library (£1,000), herbarium (£5,000), and correspondence (£1,000) were purchased from Joseph Hooker by the British Government in 1866 and remain at Kew; see Desmond (1995) p. 205 .
9
See M to J. Hooker, 6 December 1865, and Turczaninow (1862).
10
M to J. Hooker, 6 December 1865
11
See M to J. Hooker, 25 December 1865 (in this edition as 65-12-25e).

Please cite as “FVM-66-03-01,” 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 24 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/66-03-01