[The Secretary read a letter from Dr. F. Mueller, of Melbourne, in reply to a letter of inquiry1 respecting the practicability of introducing into Tasmania the hardy arborescent cotton plant which had been mentioned at a previous meeting of the Society. Dr. Mueller expressed some doubts as to whether the Peruvian cotton-tree of Mr. Kendall was the Grosypium arboretum2 of the East, deeming it probable that it was the Grosypium Peruvianum which is known to attain the height of 12 feet and represents similarly Grosypium arboretum in the Orient, as Grosypium barbareuse3 represents in America, the Grosypium herbareum4 of Persia. The species of either hemi-sphere are quite distinct, although they are often mistaken for each other, in consequence of their having been now naturalised in the tropics of both hemispheres. There were instances on record of the Grosypium Peruvianum having produced fully 1000 capsules on a single plant. This view accorded with Mr. Kendall's account of the fecundity of the plant from the Chipurana.5 Grosypium Peruvianum is a upland species, but he (Dr. M.) had not been previously aware that it was hardier than its congeners. If this were so, as its mountainous habitat would indicate, it is an important fact, which ought, as the Royal Society of Tasmania had suggested, to be taken advantage of. He (Dr. M.) should feel happy to aid in any way in promoting its introduction. He had accordingly asked Mr. Ledger, who was about to proceed to Chili and Peru for Alpacas, to procure some seed there, and would write to some Indian Botanical friends for seeds of Grosypium Peruvianum.6]
Grosypium arboretum
Grosypium barbareuse
Grosypium herbareum
Grosypium Peruvianum
Letter not found.
Printer's misreading of Gossypium arboreum?
Printer's misreading of Gossipium barbadense?
Printer's misreading of herbaceum? M discusses these species of Gossipium in B91.09.01, p. 219.
A district in Peru.
Letter not found. The report concludes 'after some conversational discussion on the very interesting contributions, and the desirability of introducing this hardy cotton tree into Tasmania, a vote of thanks was passed unanimously to the donors to the Society, and to Dr. Mueller for his obliging offer of assistance.'
Letter not found. The text given here is from a report of the meeting of the Royal Society of Tasmania in the Mercury (Hobart), 1 May 1862, p. 3. [The date of the meeting in the report appears to be in error; the newspaper (p. 2) gives 'Thursday 8 April'. But in 1862, 8 April was a Tuesday. However, Tuesday seems to have been the regular meeting day for the Society in 1862.]
Please cite as “FVM-62-04-00c,” 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