Melbourne
25/4/74.
The fossil just received from you, reverend & venerable friend, belongs to my genus Phymatocaryon (among Sapindaceae). You will observe, that the fruit is valvular, which is not the case in Santalum & Fusanus. The species indeed comes very near Ph. MacKayi, so far as I can judge without sacrificing by dissection the only specimen.
I should think it likely that many specimens of this particular fruit will be found in the (tertiary?) drifts, to which after all probably the stratum belongs, in which it was imbedded.
Phymatocaryon MacKayi is as yet but found on one spot, but there in considerable quantity and accompanied by fruits of other genera, all of which proving new and described by me in the successive quarterly reports of our mining Department.2
I will gladly work any such fruits out, if several specimens of each can be sent, so that the necessary dissections can be effected.
Your son, Major Clarke, I missed the day before yesterday,3 when calling for the gallant Officer at Menzies Hotel. I hope to see him next week.
I gave to some of the scientific men on Board of the Challenger & Arcona4 letters to you.
Trusting that you are well, I remain, rev. and dear friend, your ever regardful
Ferd von Mueller.
Please convey my best salutation to Mrs Cobham.5
Fusanus
Phymatocaryon MacKayi
Santalum
Sapindaceae
Please cite as “FVM-74-04-25,” 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/74-04-25