Queenscliff1 26/9/67.
At last, dear Mr Bentham, I concluded the labourious task, of fusing the vast material now a days furnished by Epacrideae into new generic forms. I adopt, as you will see by the annexed schema,2 the aestivation, which RBr. strangely set aside in describing the capsular genera, as primary mark of distinction. I believe you will find my arrangement as a groundwork sound, though with larger material at Kew you will have to build further on it. Pray should you abolish Michiea let it be Styphelia Michiei, not St symphyanthera, as otherwise the dedication will be lost which I rendered to an influencial friend, lately Minister of justice here.3 Of Monotoca you have the batch of specimens, which will require to be tested with a view of seeing whether the character of 1-celled ovary can be absolutely relied on. I have given publication to many of the notes on the Epacrideae here, but as the Printer is much engaged with Parliaments work, I shall not be able to send you all the print by this mail. The remainder of the Epacrideae will now be shipped immediately with a lot of other Monopetaleae.4
To the genus Woollsia, founded on Epacris pungens (Lysinema pungens Br) I have not yet given publicity, as possibly you may refer this plant either to Epacris or to Lysinema, to neither of which it strictly belongs. Archeria Traversii is a true Epacris as regards placentation.
With kindest regards your
Ferd. Mueller.
I have had no leisure to verify the characters of simple pollengrains for Drupaceous & of ternate pollengrains for capsular Epacrideae. If I saw rightly the pollengrains of Acrotriche serrulata are compound. It might be well to examine all the species. My impression is that this character can only be cautiously made use of.
Acrotriche serrulata
Archeria Traversii
Epacrideae
Epacris pungens
Lysinema pungens
Michiea
Monopetaleae
Monotoca
Styphelia Michiei
Styphelia symphyanthera
Woollsia
Vic.
Attachment not found; but see B67.09.01, pp. 74-6.
Bentham (1863-78), vol. 4, p. 150, synonymized the species as Coleanthera myrtoides, described by Stschegleev (1859), p. 4, prior to M's description in B64.05.01, p. 96.
The specimens were shipped by E. Heyne on 5 October 1867 (RB MSS M44, notebook recording despatch of plants for Bentham for Flora australiensis. library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne). Heyne wrote to J. Hooker: 'Dr Mueller being temporarily from here, he having gone for a few weeks (on account of bad health) to Western Austral. I have on his behalf the honor of shipping this day pr "Lincolnshire" a case to your adress containing the remainder of Dr M. collection of Epacrideae. To fill up a vacant space in the box some duplicates suitable for distribution have been added. Bill of lading is enclosed.' (RBG Kew, Kew correspondence, Australia, Mueller, 1858-70, f. 281).
Please cite as “FVM-67-09-26,” 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