15th July, 1892.
In reply to your letter just received, dear Mr. Leary,2 let me remark that it would be best to say of the potato plants that they belonged to the order of Solanaceae plants. Although all the Solanums, of which we now know several hundred, are generally called Nightshades, the leading plant of that name is Atropa Belladonna, the deadly Nightshade. Thus the Hyooryamus Niger3 is not called a Nightshade, but Henbane, although it belongs to the order of Solanaceae. The tomato, capsicum, tobacco, Cape gooseberry, &c, are familiar other examples of the order, which never are called Nightshades.
Regardfully yours,
Ferd. Von Mueller.
Atropa Belladonna
Hyooryamus Niger
Solanaceae
Solanum
Letter not found. The text given here (B92.07.07) is from 'Natural order nightshade', a letter to the editor of the Maitland mercury and Hunter River general advertiser, 26 July 1892, p. 7. It is appended to a letter that was part of a dispute between Leary and Joseph Leopold about the terminology of 'natural order', where Leary took Leopold to task for using the term 'natural order - nightshade' when applied to Solanum tuberosum, the potato, and S. melangena, the aubergine. Leopold's preceding letter in the series, citing Sydney botanists in support of his position, was published in the newspaper on 7 July 1895, p. 5. The correspondence was protracted, beginning with a letter from Leopold in the issue of 21 May 1892, p. 5, and continuing until Leopold responded to the letter of 26 July on 30 July, p. 7. M's letter is introduced by 'The following is Baron F. Mueller's letter:—'.
Letter not found.
Typesetter's error for Hyoscamus niger?
Please cite as “FVM-92-07-15,” 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