To John Foster   10 March 1854

Avon, 10. March 1854.

Sir

I have the honor to inform you for communication to his Excellency the Governor, that I proceeded on my botanical expedition since my last report (dated Albury 15 Jan.)¹ from the Murray river along the Mitta Mitta to the Gibbo ranges, travelling through them and the adjoining mountains in many directions. After crossing the Gibbo-ranges, near which (on the Gibbo creek) argenteous sulphid of lead has been found, I went to Omeo with the intention to adscend the highest rocky summits at the Bogong mountains, probably of not less elevation as Mount Kioskiusko,² if not higher. I was however after a vain attempt obliged to abandon the task, compelled to retreat from the extensive bushfires, then raging in those but scantily watered mountains.

In order to accomplish now the examination of the alpine flora in an other locality, I started for the Cobras³ mountains, within this province the most prominent points in the great dividing range, near the sources of several main tributaries as well of the Murray as Snowy river. Not only the mountains there, but also the surrounding plains are of an alpine nature, the latter probably more than 5000' and the tops of Mount Cobras more than 6000' above the level of the sea. I was however not enabled to solve the interesting question with regard to the altitude satisfactorely, since I was deprived of my instruments for that purpose, without having an opportunity to procure others again.

Whatever of the alpine plants of these regions is already known, belongs either to the Tasmanian Flora, or does not differ from what I discovered last year on Mount Buller. The small share of new plants mixed with them is exceedingly interesting.

From the Cobras mountains I travelled over a large tract of subalpine country as far as the boundaries of New South Wales up the Snowy river, and I might say under many difficulties, which chiefly originated in the almost constant fog hanging over the high mountains.

Out of several curious plants, which I discovered on the upper parts of the Snowy river, I have to mention Sterculia heterophylla (Brachychiton populneum Br.), growing amongst the bare Granit rocks, washed by the tremendous floods of the smelting snow. This elegant tree of the tropics occurrs along the Snowy river at least in a distance of hundred miles and besides also on several of the tributaries, and is as far as it represents a distinct natural order (Sterculiaceae) and as it reaches here its most southern limits a valuable addition to the Victoria Flora. The seeds of this plant were used for food in Dr. Leichhardts expedition to Port Essington.⁴ — Baekea utilis, the teabush of Mount Aberdeen⁵ has been repeatedly observed in the peaty vallies of the Snowy mountains.

Unable to follow the course of the Snowy river to the vicinity of the sea, where I wished to examine the cabbage trees, I passed once more the great dividing chain of mountains in a retrograd but more southerly direction.

My next excursion was along the Tambo to Gipps land principly with the intention to extend my researches over the remotests South-eastern parts of the Colony, bearing so much resemblance in their vegetation to the Illawarra district. Here occurrs between the Broadribb-⁶ and Snowy-river sparingly and on a rather circumscribed locality on the Cabbage tree river the stately Corypha Australis, the only Palmtree of this province. It attains here the stupendous hight of 60-80' and may be considered as one of the most useful productions of this country, furnishing in its leaf stalks the palmcabbage, raw as well as boiled a wholesome and delicious food, whilst the leaves are eagerly collected as material for the manufacture of hats. I am informed, that the Corypha is also to be found in the swampy vallies beyond Mount Baw Baw and rarely near the shores opposite Phillips island.

Many of the plants, which the late Allan Cunningham collected in Illawarra⁷ and made that locality to his favourite place, I was also fortunate enough to observe here towards the mouth of the Snowy river and along the Broadribb and Cabbagetree river, where almost suddenly the vegetation assumes a tropical character with all its shady groves of dark- and broadleaved trees of horizontal foliage, with all those impenetrable and intricate masses of climbers overrunning the highest trees, and with so many peculiar forms of the vegetable kingdom never transgressing the tropical Zone unless under the favourable influence of the humid mild atmosphere of the coast. Of this remarkable change bears the occurrence of genera, belonging to many families, which reach here their most southern latitude, sufficient testimony; viz. Sterculiaceae, Elaeocarpeae, Liliaceae, Bombaceae, Terebinthaceae, Ampelideae, Asclepiadeae, Palmae, Smilacinae, — Gaultheria from the alps adds to these the natural order of Ericinae, Olax and Scleranthus from the Murray those of Olacinae and Sclerantheae and besides these at least two other families were observed, the species however in too imperfect a state as to permit their determination. Perhaps many other connections with the Flora of the Moreton bay district⁸ will be once pointed out, as I could in this cursory visit not exhaust the botanical richdom of the place; for the impossibility of recrossing the Snowy river safely without canoes in rainy weather and the want of protection against the hostilities of the aborigines since the Squatting-stations here are deserted, induced me to an earlier return, as I originally desired. As useful plants from this locality I may yet mention a kind of Eldertree, a very distinct species of Raspberry and Smilax latifolia, similar and therefore perhaps medicinally allied to the true American Sarsaparilla. Seeds of these and many others have been gathered.

I beg to add an enumeration of the genera, which comprise the 150 additional species, procured since my last report; it exhibits 39 genera not previously noticed in our territory: Olax, Spiranthes, Mniarum, Juncus, Clematis, Hakea, Choretrum, Leptomeria, Eurybia, Scirpus, Sparganium, Senecio, Hovea, Pultenaea, Ozothamnus, Xerotes, Eucalyptus, Didiscus, Hemiphues, Bryum, Ranunculus, Geranium, Epacris, Restio, Pimelea, Carex, Hierochloa, Lomaria, Erigeron, Gentiana, Leptospermum, Acacia, Melaleuca, Grevillea, Richea, Splachnum, Cyathodes, Decaspora, Pimelea, Ramalina, Poa, Festuca, Glyceria, Danthonia, Emphysopus, Euphrasia, Prostanthera, Erechtites, Pentachondra, Sagina, Jungermannia, Centaurea, Banksia, Andropogon, Lecidea, Plectranthus, Pittosporum, Sterculia, Anectangium, Arthropodium, Lagenophora, Phebalium, Drapernaldia, Vulpia, Gaultheria, Hypnum, Eriostemon, Brachycome, Exocarpus, Gnaphalium, Polytrichum, Symphyomera, Philotheca, Villarsia, Trymalium, Muehlenbeckia, Scaevola, Samolus, Grewia, Humea, Sicyos? Salvia, Potamogeton, Plagianthus, Uredo, Kennedya, Persoonia, Xanthosia, Elaeocarpus, Dianella, Pleurandra, Allantodea, Smilax, Sambucus, Angophora, Adiantum, Marsdenia, Tylophora, Corypha, Eustrephus, Bidens, Portulaca, Trachymene, Aotus, Polypodium, Nephrodium, Orthopogon, Rubus, Neckera, Stypandra, Cissus,

Leguminosae and Compositae were almost everywhere found prevalent; an increase of Epacrideae, Grasses and Diosmeae was also discernible.

It is my intention now to advance once more into the high mountainous country for exploring the southern slope of the alps, as far as season and circumstances may permit, so that my next employment will be at Mount Wellington, probably yielding much of interest on account of its basaltic nature.

I have the honor to be, Sir,

your most obedient and humble servant

Ferd. Mueller

The honorable the Colonial Secretary.⁹

Acacia

Adiantum

Allantodea

Ampelideae

Andropogon

Anectangium

Angophora

Aotus

Arthropodium

Asclepiadeae

Baekea utilis

Banksia

Bidens

Bombaceae

Brachychiton populneum

Brachycome

Bryum

Carex

Centaurea

Choretrum

Cissus

Clematis

Compositae

Corypha Australis

Cyathodes

Danthonia

Decaspora

Dianella

Didiscus

Diosmeae

Drapernaldia

Elaeocarpeae

Elaeocarpus

Emphysopus

Epacrideae

Epacris

Erechtites

Ericinae

Erigeron

Eriostemon

Eucalyptus

Euphrasia

Eurybia

Eustrephus

Exocarpus

Festuca

Gaultheria

Gentiana

Geranium

Glyceria

Gnaphalium

Grevillea

Grewia

Hakea

Hemiphues

Hierochloa

Hovea

Humea

Hypnum

Juncus

Jungermannia

Kennedya

Lagenophora

Lecidea

Leguminosae

Leptomeria

Leptospermum

Liliaceae

Lomaria

Marsdenia

Melaleuca

Mniarum

Muehlenbeckia

Neckera

Nephrodium

Olacinae

Olax

Orthopogon

Ozothamnus

Palmae

Pentachondra

Persoonia

Phebalium

Philotheca

Pimelea

Pittosporum

Plagianthus

Plectranthus

Pleurandra

Poa

Polypodium

Polytrichum

Portulaca

Potamogeton

Prostanthera

Pultenaea

Ramalina

Ranunculus

Restio

Richea

Rubus

Sagina

Salvia

Sambucus

Samolus

Sarsaparilla

Scaevola

Scirpus

Sclerantheae

Scleranthus

Senecio

Sicyos

Smilacinae

Smilax latifolia

Sparganium

Spiranthes

Splachnum

Sterculia heterophylla

Sterculiaceae

Stypandra

Symphyomera

Terebinthaceae

Trachymene

Trymalium

Tylophora

Uredo

Villarsia

Vulpia

Xanthosia

Xerotes