To John Foster1    31 August 1854

Melbourne botanical Gardens,

31. August 1854.

Sir

I do myself the honor to inform you for communication to his Excellency the Governor, that I returned this day from my voyage to Sealers Cove, where transverse sections of the following indigenous timber trees have been procured as specimens of our woods for the Paris exhibition.

1. Australian Sassafras. (Atherosperma moschatum, Forster)

2. Lomatia wood. (Lomatia dentata, Brown.

3. Muskwood. (Eurybia argophylla, Cassini)

4. Gully Pittosporum. (Pittosporum bicolor, Hooker)

5. Australian Mulberrytree. (Pseudomorus Australasica Ferd Mll)

6. Stonewood. (Callistemon salignus, Candolle)

7. Lofty ferntree (Alsophila australis Brown)

8. Common ferntree (Dicksonia antarctica, Labill.)

9. Dwarf ferntree (Todea rivularis, Sieber)

10. Pomaderris wood (Pomaderris apetala, Labillard.)

11. Heather tree. (Cyathodes glauca, Brown.)

12. Dogwood. (Bedfordia salicina Candolle)

13. Prostanthera tree. (Prostanthera lasianthos, Labill)

14. Ironwood. (Notelaea ligustrina, Ventenat)

15. Oilfruit tree. (Elaeocarpus cyaneus. Sims)

16. Tea tree of Australia. (Melaleuca squarrosa, Smith)

17. Zieria tree (Zieria arborescens Sims.)

18. Beech tree of Australia (Fagus Cunninghami Hooker)

19. Myrtle tree of New South Wales. (A genus allied to Acmena)

20. Coast Acacia. (Acacia Sophorae, Brown)

21. Coast Honeysuckle (Banksia integrifolia, Linné)

22. Blackwood. (Acacia melanoxylon, Brown)

23. Blue Gum tree. (Eucalyptus Globulus, Labill.)

24. Flooden Gum tree (Eucalyptus goniocalyx, Ferd Mueller)

This series contains all the timber-trees of the district, which I visited, and exhibits a considerable diversity of woods, as it comprises specimens of not less than 15 natural orders of plants and showes, that here woods for any purpose may be obtained with the exception of such kinds perhaps, as are fit for ship masts.

The Myrtle tree of New South Wales and the Lomatia tree have been discovered now in Victoria for the first time, and besides these several other plants have been added at this occasion to the Victoria-Flora; viz. Pimelea drupacea, Acianthus fornicatus, a species of Diuris, Tetragonia inermis, similar to the New Zealand Spinage, and many Algae, Fungi & Mosses. I collected besides numerous specimens for the Governments herbarium, the bark of the Sassafras tree, which forms a powerful substitute for the Peruvian bark and which will probably hereafter form an article of export, for the Paris exhibition, further some seeds and living plants for the botanic gardens and several articles for the Melbourne Museum.

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

your most obedient and humble servant

Ferd. Mueller,

Gov. Botanist.

 

The honorable the Colonial Secretary.

 

Acacia melanoxylon

Acacia Sophorae

Acianthus fornicatus

Acmena

Alsophila australis

Atherosperma moschatum

Banksia integrifolia

Bedfordia salicina

Callistemon salignus

Cyathodes glauca

Dicksonia antarctica

Diuris

Elaeocarpus cyaneus

Eucalyptus Globulus

Eucalyptus goniocalyx

Eurybia argophylla

Fagus Cunninghami

Lomatia

Lomatia dentata

Melaleuca squarrosa

Notelaea ligustrina

Pimelea drupacea

Pittosporum bicolor

Pomaderris apetala

Prostanthera lasianthos

Pseudomorus Australasica

Tetragonia inermis

Todea rivularis

Zieria arborescens

 
MS annotation dated 4 September 1854: 'Read'. See Official catalogue of the Melbourne Exhibition, 1854, in connexion with the Paris Exhibition, 1855 ([1854]).

Please cite as “FVM-54-08-31,” 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 28 March 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/54-08-31