26/12/66
I have to respond to your kind letters by last mail, dear Dr Hooker.1 If by my hasty remark on the Fungi sent to Mr Berkeley I have given that reverend and excellent man any pain, I most readily retract it.2 I will write to Mr Berkeley if you desire it. Since about 10 years I have from time to time sent fungi to this great observer through your lamented fathers mediation of these fungi in 1860 I was favored with a list of those sent up to that time and the names were printed in my report of 1861,3 but as no diagnoses were transmitted, the few new species remained unpublished ever since. It is true I might have worked out the diagnoses when so far guided, but then would it not have been a pity for me with my small experience among fungi and with my limited means of work? Ever since 1860 I have not received any more information on the species sent, and this has tended much to discourage me from collecting: I now send 8 or 9 species from Cape York! As the locality is a remarkable one, the reverend Mr Berkeley would perhaps examine & describe them.4 Otherwise pray send them to some other mycologist.5
You will receive more of the Mesembryanthemum tegens. It is a lovely plant. It reached Edinburgh safely.6 I will continue sending [seeds] as such may be given away for interchanges should you not require them yourself
The Cardwellia & Darlingia [seeds] were all from different lots successively obtained.
Let me remain your
regardful
Ferd Mueller
Cardwellia
Darlingia
Mesembryanthemum tegens
Please cite as “FVM-66-12-26,” 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 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/66-12-26