From Charles Stuart1    10 March 1850

Woodhall near Perth2

Mar 10th 1850

Dear Sir

I have been for some time waiting to hear from you with much uncertainty, as I answered yours of August 10th3 at the latter end of September last.4 Sending at the same time pr Brig "Halycyon" a small box containing some Cryptogamous plants, & seeds from South Africa, Swan River &c — since which I have not heard from you I trust that you received them safe, & if so that nothing serious has occurred to prevent your writing as you had been unwell, I am afraid perhaps that continued illness might have been the cause, — but I hope at all events that you will send me an answer to this — never mind about any names of plants or any thing of the kind untill quite convenient, only let me hear from you — I am the more anxious about this as I have another good collection for you having made one or two journeys since my last writing, to the eastern part of the Island — & succeeded in getting nearly all I wanted from there — I have also the pleasure to inform you that I have also got a fine lot of Algae from the same locality, with which I think you will be much pleased, and as my labours are ended for this season I only wait untill I hear from you, when I will send them, together with some other seeds &c —

You cannot think how uneasy I have been about you sometimes I thought that pecuniary matters had not gone well with you, but do not think for a moment that will cause me to be slack in my endeavours to serve you to the best of my ability — so long as my service may be acceptable — at all events do write soon

Your South American seeds have nearly all grown & some of them now large plants — only one has flowered the Solanum ciliatum — there is also a Passiflora, now growing finely also a Hibiscus? Adenanthera and some Leguminous plants of which I cannot say anything about

The seeds which I got from Swan river are growing well, but as yet the plants are but small, only one has flowered which is a Gompholobium, but amongst these I recognise Callistemon, Calothamnus, Dryandra, Banksia (about 12 sorts of these) many Leguminous plants such as Chorizemia,5 Brachysema? Podolobium &c & many others of which I shall forward you specimens as they flower

Many plants for which you enquired I am sorry to say I cannot send you as yet, but I know where they are to be found — with one or two exceptions & will try for them next season — I have been again disappointed in getting some specimens from Hobart Town a person there promised but has not performed, but this is the way of the world I am sorry to say. — I am not going to write a long letter now — my principal object being to obtain word from you — on receipt of which I will be more diffuse — I intend if all goes well next season to make a journey on the N Coast of VDL6 — where I think the plants will assimilate more with those of New Holland,7 I have never been there, & a quantity of specimens which I once saw from thence were so imperfect that they could not be well recognised or examined but this is a subject for the future. — I have I think got a new Boronia on my last trip — I shall therefore say no more at present — but anxiously waiting your reply believe me to be dear Sir

yours faithfully

Charles Stuart

 

I think your surmise of the Fraxinus to be correct by the appearance of the plant & seed, I send a bit of a plant not yet generally in flower, which I took to be a Cryptandra from its habit untill I found a few untimely flowers, about 1ft high — also a climbing plant growing on dry rocks with much the appearance of some Jasminium flowers immature but you may perhaps recognize it, the foliage in the same plant varies much in some cases I have observed the leaf quite entire, it seems out of place here as it suffers from frost.8

believe me dear Sir

Yours Truly

Charles Stuart

 

Adenanthera

Banksia

Boronia

Brachysema

Callistemon

Calothamnus

Chorizemia

Cryptandra

Dryandra

Fraxinus

Gompholobium

Hibiscus

Jasminium

Passiflora

Podolobium

Solanum ciliatum

MS envelope front: 'Dr F. Müller | care of Messrs Büttner & Heuzenroeder | Chemists & Druggists | Rundle Street | Adelaide'. Front post-marked Launceston, 11 March 1850, and GPO, South Australia, 19 March 1850.
Tas.
Letter not found. The post could sometimes be very slow. In his letter to M of 25 September 1849, Stuart says he received M's letter on 15 September.
C. Stuart to M, 25 September 1849.
Chorizema?
Van Diemen's Land.
The Australian mainland.
MS annotation by M: 'Cryptandra Tecoma'.

Please cite as “FVM-50-03-10,” 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 29 March 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/50-03-10