Octr. 1 /80
Dear Mueller
I wanted to thank you for the most acceptable Palms; your letter2 & Fragmenta. I keep Bacularia, though I fear that it will have to contain species that (as with so many other genera) do not accommodate themselves to the origin of the name.
I see that some of the imperfectly known Australian Palms are already flowering in Hills3 Garden at Brisbane. I wish I could recognize your Halorageas affinity of Batis? The pedaloid scales between the stamen, & the erect ovule & erect Exalbuminous seed short radicle & large cotyledons seem wholly opposed to that alliance4 — I do not see why you say I have overlooked Grisebach's notes. I referred to them but found nothing worth noting — he never even saw the ♀ flowers & adds nothing to our knowledge of the plant
I see you have Athrotaxis from the continent of Australia — that is very interesting.5
The Asa Grays left us this morning after a fortnights visit for the continent. They will spend 2 months in Spain. We shall join them in the S. of France we hope about Xmas for 2 months tour in Italy. I have had no vacation this year. The Grays will return to Kew for the summer.
I find the genera of Palms a most serious matter — I had hoped to reduce the genera largely, but am quite unable, the characters of the ♂ flowers [usually] are so remarkable & various. Wendland has been here & most kind & helpful — he certainly has a wonderful knowledge of them both by habit & characters. Beccari has sent me his complete & splendid collection for study. — I do wish I could reduce the genera as he has done but I see no choice between many genera of Arecinae and one to include a most heterogeneous assemblage. I never was more puzzled.
Ever sincerely yr
JD Hooker.
Arecinae
Bacularia
Batis
Halorageae
Please cite as “FVM-80-10-01,” 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 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/80-10-01