From Ferdinand von Mueller to Asa Gray   22 Apr 1873

Melbourne bot Garden

22/4/73

Many years ago, dear Dr. Gray, our late friend Dr Steetz wrote to me,¹ that it was always a festival-day to him when a letter arrived from you; and really so is it with me, though my tardiness of reply may not accord with the sentiments of my expression. So your last generous letter² remained also unanswered for some time. I wish you could have honored Australia from California with a visit,³ though you will find it perhaps as difficult to liberate yourself for a lengthened time from official obligations, as I find it. Thus I do not think it likely that I ever shall be able to set my foot on American soil, though even honored by an invitation from so great a man as yourself.

It will be glorious, if the greater ease of the autumn of your labourious life will allow you to perfect your intended Universal work on plants of the United states, though you may find it impossible to embrace in your researches also the vegetation of Canada and Mexico, on both of which a special work is sadly wanted, and which Dr. Lawson'sexplorations and researches may supply for Canada, if they are brought to a final issue.⁴

I agree with you, that Eucalyptus, Acacia and Casuarina plantations would become important in all your Southern States. Even now it is proved in my laboratory that the taroil of Eucalyptus can be separated into not less than ten well marked oils, each available for special technologic purposes and obtainable in immeasurable quantity. I have sent samples of all these and other products of Eucalyptus to the London Exhibition.⁵

You speak of the enormous work of our illustr. friend Bentham. Yes it is marvellous! But he is blessed with fortune, needs therefore not work for his subsistance, has no family and moved in the calmness of private life ever since his youth. Then I think also, that he has help, such as no one else ever can enjoy, by the large means of the well organized Kew establishment. So it is with Baron Liebig for chemistry in Munich and other great men had other enveyable advantages. I for my own part have furnished alone for Bentham's use 58 large boxes with specifically arranged plants for his 6 Austral volumes,⁶ each box containing at an average over 20 large fascicles. The time of collecting and examining such vast material has of course been far more extensive than the time needed for comparing them with the Kew collections (to which I also largely contributed) and for writing the diagnoses. May however providence long allow that venerable man to devote his great intellectual power for the promotion of knowledge. As it is, Bentham and the older Hooker are among the foremost, who after Linné⁷ have stamped their names on every squaremile of the globe through vegetation! May you also long yet retain your mental strength to continue on your on⁸ glorious literary path. As you are engaged on the elaboration of Gamopetalae you may allow me a remark, which bears on classification of these & other plants.

I had occasion for the 60th number of the Fragmenta⁹ (a work after a whole years hinderance now slowly resuscitated) to examine some Stylideae. This led me to reexamine Donatia, collected by myself in the higher Alps of Tasmania; I found it undoubtedly Stylideous as indicated by Jos. Hooker. It is almost a Phyllachne (to which I reduce Forstera) with its column dissolved into its constituent parts and with a gamopetalous corolla deprived of its tube. Like in Galium, so in Donatia and many other genera, the so called petals might be regarded as segments of a monopetalous corolla on account of the very broad base, with which they are adnate. It seems to me, that this character has not obtained the consideration which it deserves. Perhaps Dr Hooker may have taken prominent notice of it in the new volume of Genera,¹⁰ when working on Rubiaceae. I restore for Stylidium now also the older name Candollea, of which you might perhaps take public notice in the papers of the Academy, as more than a dozen years ago already I showed (plants of Vict vol. I)¹¹ the untenability of the Dilleniaceous genus named after the great De Candolle, for whom and for the heirs of his fame the Stylidious genus would construct a magnificent widely extending generic monument.

After the long "struggle for existence" in which now at last it seems like in Hookers case a glorious victory is for me to be achieved,¹² I trust with renewed courage of life to resume my interchanges with friends abroad, which by the ruinous reductions in my Department and the cruel and undeserved persecution to which I have been subjected for several of the late years had come almost to a stand-still. If the wooltrade brings our ports in direct contact, then I shall have a spendid opportunity to send you fernstems & many other museum objects.

With the profoundest regard your

Ferd. von Mueller.

Acacia

Candollea

Casuarina

Donatia

Eucalyptus

Forstera

Galium

Gamopetalae

Phyllachne

Rubiaceae

Stylideae

Stylidium