To Casimir de Candolle   13 June 1893

13/6/93.

You will receive, dear M. de Candolle, an official message, conveyed by the hon Secr. of the Field-Naturalists Club of Victoria, expressive of our grief at the loss of your uncomparable father.¹ Last evening, when distributing as Patron the annual prizes at the Club to 6 juvenile Ladies and 7 young Gentlemen, for the field-work and collections emanating therefrom,² I alluded to the Australian Bellflower, Wahlenbergia gracilis, as our floral souvenir for ever of your parent, it being the only species here, which may form a blue sheet on our meadows, the blue as a prevailing color hardly anywhere existing here in any places of vegetation, though often met with in Europe through the many campanulas.³

Enclosed you will also find find⁴ a condolatory letter from young Naturalist-boys, who on their spontaneous impulse send this tégmoinage⁵ of their sorrow, when they heard of Alphonse de Candolle's passing away through me, and in a similar manner will likely be sent to you condolatory adresses also from other science unions in the Australian Colonies. Your worthy mother must have come from a family, originating in Germany, according to her maiden name.⁶

Ever with regardful attachment your

Ferd. von Mueller

I feel sure you will honor our Club and also the juvenile "Field-Club of Surrey-Hills"⁷ with some few encouraging lines.

I must try to redeem early my promise to furnish the Myoporinae for the "Monogr. phanerog." The delay has much enriched the material, particularly from new regions in Central Austr.⁸

Myoporinae

Wahlenbergia gracilis