To George Bentham1    May 1871

[After May 1871]2

 

Some simplification among the genera of Coniferae is necessary. You will have observed that I insisted on the reduction of Frenela to Callitris in my elucidation of the fossil genus Spondylostrobus.3 You will find the4 appendix to the Accl. Soc. Report for this year also Retinospora [reduced] as well as Chamaecyparis to Cupressus.5

 

Callitris

Chamaecyparis

Coniferae

Cupressus

Frenela

Retinospora

Spondylostrobus

1
The correspondent is identified as Bentham since he worked during 1872 on the Coniferae for Bentham (1863-78), vol. 6; see J. Hooker to M, 20 November 1872.
2
This note must have been written after the publication of the description of Spondylostrobus in B71.05.02. The reference to B71.06.02, listed as a 'recent publication' by the Argus on 6 June 1871, p. 6, suggests that it was sent in or after June 1871, although M may have been reporting on an as yet unpublished manuscript. The note may have been sent later in the year, when M was preparing to send Bentham the Coniferae specimens, which were in Box 55, shipped on 21 March 1872 (Notebook recording despatch of plants for Flora Australiensis, RB, MSS M44, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne).
3
B71.05.02, p.49, where M also treated Actinostrobus as a sub-genus of Callitris; see also B71.06.02, p. 33. Bentham rejected the argument in Bentham (1863-78), vol. 6, p. 239, and preferred Frenella to Callitris.
4
in omitted between find and the?
5
B71.06.02; both generic reductions are on p. 31.

Please cite as “FVM-71-05-00b,” 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 19 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/71-05-00b