To William Hooker   17 September 1860

Genoa River, 17 Sept 1860.

My dear Sir William,

Perhaps I may not be able to forward this letter to you by the September mail, as I am engaged in finishing the botanical exploration of Gipps Land at the boundary-line of New South Wales;¹ But I will at least prepare at once an account of my proceedings, should I be in time to avail myself of this mail.

The communication with Twofold Bay² from Melbourne having been directly opened this season through the exodus from Victoria to the Snowy River diggings,³ I had a ready opportunity to enter on the botanical investigation of the south-eastern part of Gipps Land without much loss of time from Twofold Bay and I received leave of absence for performing this service for three weeks.⁴

It was of some importance, that I should examine the south eastern parts of the colony previous to the compilation of the first volume of my flora,⁵ in as much as I had never been towards that tract of country in the spring season. Hence I found Caladenia alba, Caladenia coerulea (not barbata) and Glossodia minor all for the first time within Victorian territory, these species not occurring, as far as I know, further westward. On the forest hills with scrubby heathy underwood near the Genoa River I noticed as new for the flora of Victoria Podolobium trilobatum in great abundance, on Genoa Peak Hibbertia dentata & Dendrobium Milligani, the latter occurring on bare granite rocks occasionally covered with snow not only on the peak but also in many other localities with huge rock-masses near the Genoa River and its tributaries both in Victoria and New South Wales. I shall bring with me to Melbourne a large quantity of living plants of this hardy Dendrobium, because I imagine that it will be acceptable for our outdoor-rockeries and may be welcome also in Britain and other countries, where now Orchids are taking so predominant a share of the horticulturalists attention.

You will be surprised to hear, that D. speciosum occurs within Victoria also in a latitude as far south as Melbourne (37°30') near the lower parts of the Genoa River, where it is exposed during the winter at an elevation of 2-3000' to a considerable degree of frost, which nippes the extremities of the leaves but does not prevent the pushing forth of flowerstems. The plant grows in large patches on bare granite and porphyritic rocks, and seems not to rely much on irrigation. Melaleuca armillaris, Dodonea cuneata, Helichrysum H. elatum ⁶ A.C., Westringia longifolia, Poranthera ericifolia, Phebalium capitatum, Conospermum taxifolium, Baeckea B linifolia,⁷ Patersonia glabrata and P. sericia, Persoonia lanceolata, Phebalium aureum, Commersonia Frazeri, a species seemingly of Seringea, an Eurybia allied to the E. pimeloides from the Murray-desert, Adiantum hispidulum , Dawsonia polytrichoides are the New South Wales plants which I traced on this occasion into Victorian territory, thereby determining their southern limits. Most interesting was to me to observe, that Phylloglossum inhabits the open heaths near the entrance of the Genoa River, whilst I was not less delighted to notice just on our boundary line of the colony Disemma thus establishing a place for Passiflora in my flora, and showing the existence of the order as far as 37°20' south.

The occurence of Eucalyptus corymbosa (the New South Wales Bloodwood) and of Angophora intermedia (one of the East Australian Apple-trees) was also formerly not known in Victoria[.]⁸ I have however been disappointed in my expectations of finding many of the Botany Bay heath plants near Cape Howe, nor was I able to notice any of the noble meliaceous, sapindaceous, euphorbiaceous & other indo-australian trees, which with the red Cedar are found as far south as Shoalhaven, for it seems that our mean annual heat is not sufficient here in Gipps Land to favor their migration so far south, when the temperature also sinks occasionally very low and the S.W. antarctic breeze counteracts the current of warm air which renders the Eastern coast of Australia so mild far southerly. Contrary I have established the existence of many Tasmanian & Victorian species as far East as Cape Howe. These to enumerate would lead on this occasion too far. The habitats which I have added to many rarer Victorian plants are very numerous.

Melbourne 25. Oct. 1860

I missed the last mail, in not having reached my home again in time. I will therefore complete my account now of my last journey. Within Victorian territory I found at an elevation of 4000' Telopea truncata; at least I was unable to see any distinction, by which I could discriminate the Gippsland plants from the Tasmanian ones, but have not yet seen good flowers. I found also one of Sieber's almost box-leaved Persoonias, a delightful bush, which is subalpine only & will no doubt endure the english winter.

On my homeway I was surprised to find more far than 37° South! Stephania hernandifolia, Pittosporum revolutum, Cupania xylocarpa, Rulingia corylifolia, Omalanthus populifolius, Ficus aspera, Aphanopetalum resinosum, Achras australis, Rubus Hillii, Viscum incanum, Eupomatia laurina, Eucalyptus Woolsiana, Olearia dentata, Goodenia stilligera, G. cistifolia, Mitrasacme polymorpha, Anthoceris Tasmanica, Isopogon anethifolius, Persoonia lanceolata, Sponia spp., a (new?) urticaceous tree and even Asplenium [Nidrus],⁹ not small starved specimens but with fronds more than 6' long! The crowning success of this journey however, by which my Victorian flora has become so much enriched consists in the discovery of a beautiful new Dio[rma]ceous plant, probably a second species of the West Austr genus Nematolepis Turcz (Symphyopetalum¹⁰ Harvey) and in the discovery of a Panax with the habit of a cocos palm! 80' high, 60 feet stems without a branch quite straight, crowned by a comparatively small top of leaves, which resemble that of Ailanthus. This noble plant, which will grace I hope ere long our gardens & your conservatories I named in Compliment of Patrick Murray Esq, the Chief Magistrate of the District, who very kindly interested himself in my journey & gave me great facilities in carrying it out successfully.¹¹ I enclose seeds.

Prof Harvey will receive some algae which I gathered at Twofold Bay. I forwarded them by the "Great Britain" and perhaps, Sir William, you will have the kindness of causing them forwarded to our friend, the box being adressed to yourself.

Mr Dallachy is engaged collecting near Lake Hindmarsh,¹² from whence he sent already a new Grevillea, Zieria veronicea Duttonia gibbifolia & other great rarities not before known in Victoria. I shall be able to send you a magnificent collection of dried plants at the end of the season, including Dr Becklers¹³ & what I may find in the S.W. never ascended alps, for the exploration of which I am now preparing.

By the great Britain I have forwarded under very kind care of the Commander a small box with a living plant of Dendrobium Shepherdi & Dendrobium Milligani, to be delivered by the Director of the Botanic Gardens of Liverpool.

I shall write to Professor Harvey by this mail.¹⁴ Pray give Dr Hooker my kind regards.

May providence bless you with health & happiness,

your humble

Ferd. Mueller.

The first volume of my flora is likely to appear at the end of the year. I hope you will permit me to dedicate it to you.¹⁵

Achras australis

Adiantum hispidulum

Angophora intermedia

Anthoceris Tasmanica

Aphanopetalum resinosum

Asplenium Nidrus

Baeckea B linifolia

Caladenia alba

Caladenia barbata

Caladenia coerulea

Commersonia Frazeri

Conospermum taxifolium

Cupania xylocarpa

Dawsonia polytrichoides

Dendrobium Milligani

Dendrobium Shepherdi

Dendrobium speciosum

Disemma

Dodonea cuneata,

Duttonia gibbifolia

Eucalyptus corymbosa

Eucalyptus Woolsiana

Eupomatia laurina

Eurybia pimeloides

Ficus aspera

Glossodia minor

Goodenia cistifolia

Goodenia stilligera

Grevillea

Helichrysum elatum

Hibbertia dentata

Isopogon anethifolius

Melaleuca armillaris

Mitrasacme polymorpha

Nematolepis

Olearia dentata

Omalanthus populifolius

Panax

Passiflora

Patersonia glabrata

Patersonia sericia

Persoonia lanceolata

Phebalium aureum

Phebalium capitatum

Phylloglossum

Pittosporum revolutum

Podolobium trilobatum

Poranthera ericifolia

Rubus Hillii

Rulingia corylifolia

Seringea

Sponia

Stephania hernandifolia

Symphyopetalum

Telopea truncata

Viscum incanum

Westringia longifolia

Zieria veronicea