From George Bentham   25 November 1869

25. WILTON PLACE. S.W.

Novr 25 /69

My dear Sir

I had intended writing to you by the last mail but I was at the time laid up by an attack of sciatica which quite put a stop to my usual occupations for two or three weeks. I have now resumed work and have got through the small orders of Plantagineae Nyctagineae and Phytolaccaceae and have almost finished Chenopodiaceae which have given me a great deal of trouble and taken up much more time than I expected — and now short days and additional care I am obliged to take in bad weather prevents my advancing so rapidly as I could wish. I shall have about a hundred species of Chenopodiaceae most of which have required very careful analyses of several specimens, and I am very much puzzled about genera especially among the Camphorosmeae. Moquin¹ had not good enough materials to ascertain the constancy of the characters on which he has relied, several of which will not bear scrutiny and he has mistaken several of Brown's species for want of authentic specimens. I have now only a few Atriplexes still to do which will take me two or three days and I shall then pack up a box to return to you which would have been despatched before this if it had not been for the interruption above-mentioned.

The boxes per Norfolk arrived safely at Kew two or three weeks since — I have also to thank you for your letter received pr last mail² with specimens of two sp. of Anisomeles (probably varieties of the A. salvifolia) and one of Prostanthera whether new or not I cannot tell all being fragments only. Many of your numerous correspondents contribute largely by good satisfactory specimens — but some of them send such wretched scraps that they do more harm than good. For travellers in difficult desert explorations like those of McDouall Stuart's and similar expeditions this may be well excused but that the gentlemen resident in Queensland and other settled districts should send to you little sprigs with a single flower or bud or with none at all is what I think you ought to remonstrate against — guessing at such puzzles only leads into errors, of which you will find but too many in my Flora even where there is not that excuse. Dallachy and others of your own collectors as well as some of your correspondents send on the other hand satisfactory specimens which it is a pleasure to have to work upon.

Ever yours sincerely

George Bentham

Dr F. Mueller

Anisomeles salvifolia

Atriplex

Camphorosmeae

Chenopodiaceae

Nyctagineae

Phytolaccaceae

Plantagineae

Prostanthera