To Joseph Hooker1    19 November 1868

19/11/68.

 

By the Norfolk, dear Dr Hooker, I sent to you for Mr Benthams use my whole collection of Grevilleae, approximately 2000 specimens. It took me many days to arrange them finally. The collection contains not above half a dozen new species, but shows the transit forms of many of RBr's & Meissners species. The Banksiae & Dryandrae are nearly ready and shall follow in a few weeks. Former writers on Proteaceae have strangely neglected the carpologic characters of these two genera for specific diagnosis.

On the 24 Oct I sent by the True Britain 2 all the small genera of Proteaceae and some Santalaceae. On the [7] July I forwarded by the Anglesey 2 Boxes, containing the Casuarineae, Cycadeae, Coniferae, Laurineae, Polygoneae and part of Santalaceae. On the 16 June I sent by the Lincolnshire all Urticeae, Monimieae, part of Laurineae, & some small orders. On the 18 May I despatched all the Euphorbiaceae by the Essex.3 I have not yet any intimation of the safe arrival of any of these specimens, but learned from the newspapers that the Essex has arrived.

The case with Loganiaceae, Ebenaceae & Gentianeae has safely come back. I was glad to see that Mr Bentham confirmed the validity of the many new Villarsiae.4

With kindest regards

Ferd. von Mueller

 

With your usual kindness, I trust you will forward the packages to Mr Verdon (our new Colonial Agent) and to Mr Bennett of the British Museum.

 

Banksia

Casuarineae

Coniferae

Cycadeae

Dryandra

Ebenaceae

Euphorbiaceae

Gentianeae

Laurineae

Loganiaceae

Monimieae

Polygoneae

Proteaceae

Santalaceae

Urticeae

Villarsia

 
1
MS annotation in pencil by [Daniel Oliver]: 'To √ which have arr.' MS annotation in ink by Hooker: 'ansd March 19/69.' See J. Hooker to M, 19 March 1869 (in this edition as 68-03-19b).
2
i.e. True Briton, which ‘cleared out’ of Melbourne on 27 October 1868 ( Argus , 28 October 1868, p. 4).
3
Inked √ in margin against each ship name.
4
M worked up Villarsia in B68.04.01, pp 136-42; see Bentham (1863-78), vol. 4, pp 374–81, however Bentham assigned to Limnanthemum three species M had described in Villarsia .

Please cite as “FVM-68-11-19,” 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 1 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/68-11-19