To Alphonse de Candolle   15 May 1886

15/5/86.

In response to your last kind letter, honored Sir, let me first say, that I hope to unite the descriptions of the new Australian plants, published during the last few years, into a systematic arrangement for the 12th vol. of the fragmenta, which work for various reasons came to a stand still.¹ Meanwhile these scattered diagnoses are referred to in the supplements of the "Census", which I dedicated to you;² the 3th (for 1885)³ is soon to appear, as it is in the printers hands The New Guinean plants I collect into the special publication "Papuan plants", of which I send you the 8th part by this mail.⁴ In reference to the text of the Myoporinae,⁵ I would willingly in 1887 furnish diagnoses and descriptions in latin for your "monographiae phanerogamorum", and I could add myself the few extra-australian species, so that the whole would be a perfect monography of the order. In 1888 or later (if God will continue my life mercifully so long) I should write the text for the plate separately in English, so that my contribution to your monographiae would for ever be an original one. Having used the syst. veg. vol. I & II & the prodromus of your illustrious father and yourself since 1840, I should like very much to enjoy the honor yet in life of having contributed to these standard-series of modern phytography by elaborating the Myoporinae, to which not likely any future important additions will be made.⁶

If I treat the Myoporinae similarly to your elaboration of the Smilacinae⁷ and your excellent sons Meliaceae,⁸ my whole text in latin would occupy only about 40 pages, so the Myoporinae could perhaps yet be included in the second part of vol. V of your Monographiae after the Amphelideae of our industrious friend Planchon.⁹ I can attend to the extra-australian Myoporinae also, having sufficient material for the purpose here; but my illustrations here will be limited to Austral. species.

I am now preparing a series of plates of Acacias, i.e. such species as have hitherto not yet been delineated.¹⁰ This will facilitate the recognition of the numerous specific forms in this great genus for all times.

You write with an untrembling hand and with such mental force, that I presume your health remains firm and your eyesight unimpaired.

May you thus long be spared, to guide efforts also in future for our favorite science.

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller

I still think, that finally the genus Stylidium will become Candollea everywhere, as we must have an important genus, to be a worthy monument for your great family name in bot science.

Acacia

Amphelideae

Candollea

Cinchona

Meliaceae

Myoporinae

Smilacinae

Stylidium