From Ferdinand von Mueller to Bayley Balfour   2 May 1889

2/5/89

This evening, dear Prof. Balfour, I received your magnificent vol. on the vegetation of Socotra.¹ What a marvelous complex of plants there and remaining unknown til near the end of the 19th century, altho' that island was within the course of navigation and commerce since antiquity. How singularly remarkable also, that such genera as Begonia reach comparatively so near the Mediterranean Sea! Much am I also interested in your Acacia Socotrana, because it strengthens the view of Prof Fraas, that A. Farnesiana is the ακακια of Kappadocia of Dioscorides, as that plant cannot possibly be the Cytisus scoparius, though assumed so by Sprengel.² When I explored with Gregory very far inland in N.W. Australia during 1855 and 1856 I found the true Acacia Farnesiana abundantly as a wild plant, the nearest eastern settlement then being 3000 miles off and the nearest S. Western 2000 miles! The ακακια of Egypt of Disoscorides is clearly A. vera, i.e., A. Arabica, which is also Plinius' & Vergilius' Acacia. I cannot see, how A. Farnesiana can be indigenous to America solely in the present sense of nativity, when it was so common in Central Australia long before even its geographic exploration. The cases of Cocos, Cucurbita, Phaseolus &c are not analogous.

As this splendid work of yours is published by the R.S. Ed., I am reminded, that the Edinb. Soc. received hardly any publications from me for years. But for a long while the Gov. publications here all are distributed only through the Public Library of Melbourne on order of the Premier. If the Soc. should like, to possess any of my works, it would be best to apply directly to the Librarian here, Dr Bride, to whom some of the later volumes of your transactions might be sent in return.

Regardfully your

Ferd von Mueller.

"Entre nous" I might say, that I purchased each of the last 3 years over £50— of my own works on my private expense from the Gov Printing Office for giving away.³

You might successfully search for Chenolea hirsuta at the Scottish Coast. I found it nearly as far north in Schleswig, and in Sweden it extends also to Oeland.⁴ It is in is almost glabrous state easily taken for Suaeda maritima.⁵

The duties of the Presidency of the Austral. Assoc for the Advancm. of Science commence to press heavily on me. The meeting takes place [Jan] 1890. We hope to arrange a tour to the glaciers of the Austral Alps.⁶

I triangulated first through a large portion of the Victorian Alps 1853, 1854 & 1855.⁷

Acacia Arabica

Acacia Farnesiana

Acacia Socotrana

Acacia vera

Chenolea hirsuta

Cocos

Curcurbita

Cytisus scoparius

Phaseolus

Suaeda maritima