To Ronald Gunn   12 June 1867

Stategarden 12/6/67

At a late hour, dear Mr Gunn, I can but briefly & hurriedly respond to your most interesting letter;¹ still to remove the impression that I advanced inconscientiously observations not sufficiently relieable, let me seriatim defend my views. But do not misunderstand me. I was glad to obtain your highly valuable opinions in so manly and candid a manner; in the same spirit I offer my reply. Only last month a stem of Cyathea medullaris was measured at Dandenong, 25 miles from Melbourne, 70 feet, Alsophila excelsa in Norfolk Island is measured 80 feet. I have seen Alsophila Australis at Wilsons Promontory (where Melaleuca squarrosa grows 80' high with 2' diameter of stem) myself fully 50 feet high. Still such large sizes are exceptional & depend on favorable local influences.

Altho', as you rightly observe, Dicksonia antarctica grows in the vallies & Alsophila Australis more on the slopes of the ranges, I find here in exposed flatlands aways from the mountains the thicker stem & the more rigid foliage of the Dicksonia much better calculated to cope with our heat than Alsophila. In the alps I have seen Dicksonia 4000' high² but not Alsophila. The measurement of Eucalyptus amygdalina 420 feet was made with a tap line! The hight of 500' is given by a most trustworthy surveyor. Mr Heyne did not measure the out & in but real circumference. You must remember our climate is much warmer, than that of Tasmania. Thus the larger development of the trees. You can easily see the big Eucalypts on a visit to us here, which I hope you will pay us. I intend to take Prince Alfred also to the ranges, to show to his Royal Highness these gigants in his mothers country. Hymenanthera Banksii I saw 30' high at the Genoa in E Gipps land,³ where the Coryphapalm grows 80' high! It is common there (the Hymenanthera)

Correa Lawrenciana I measured nearly 40' high in the deep morasses among Fagus Cunninghami between Apollo Bay & Cape Otway. This is the only place where it grows so high. There a Cyathea medullaris was measured also over 50'.

Plagianthus pulchellus I have seen 30-40 feet high in places, where in deep forest recesses Acacia decurrens grows approximately 150' high.

Pomaderris elliptica is a stately tree towards the summit of Mount Macedon, quite as high as tall individuals of P. apetala

Goodia lotifolia approaches to 30 feet, in favorable spots, but I have no data written down on its hight, as far as I remember

Acacia penninervis is so common in many of our mountains, especi[ally]⁴ at subalpine hights & in localities where the vegetation is half Tasmanian, that the occurrence of this tree in V.DL would not be surprising. Bentham introduced it, on the authority of a specimen from Oldfield with the II. vol. of the Flor Austr. (pag 362).⁵ Oldfield found it on Mount Wellington (Browns road) It cannot possibly be confused with any other species. You must kindly bear in mind, that Dr Hooker omitted also in the flora of Tasmania Panax sambucifolius, which I got from Dr Milligan! (a species 30-40' high, though probably less so with you), Lyperanthus suaveolens, Cassinia longifolia and several other Tasmanian undoubted species. Acacia mollissima & A dealbata grow both here on one ridge. The difference in flowering time, which I noted for many years, arises from the very difference of locali[ty.]⁶ This is analogous to what may be observed in middle Europe regarding Euphrasia verna and Euphrasia Odontites. You must kindly remember, that in dealing with species, I have specimens from an immense area, & while in Tasmania under local conditions middle forms are wanting, in Australia such is not the case. Acacia discolor is certainly in E Gipps land approximately 30' high.

I only regret that I did not mark with a star or other sign those trees in the list, which only exceptionally rise to 30 feet.

My seed collector in the Garden will be asked tomorrow about the ripening of Acacia mollissima & dealbata, both common on the Yarra.

You are right regarding Tetracarpaea It must be eliminated from the list. I never saw the plant in nature & was under the illusion it was a tree, like many cunoniaceus Saxifrageae. Many thanks for the Epacrideae correction. I do admit with Klotzsch & other writers only as a tribe of Ericeae. I have a section of a stem of Prionotes from South Port nearly 1/2 a foot across. But that may be exceptional Does Fagus Gunnii not rise to good⁷ hight in favored spots?

Banksia australis you may see here 50' high, & 40' it is frequently[.]⁸ Exocarpus cupressiform[is]⁹ was clerically omitted. Beyera¹⁰ oblongifolia (or rather viscosa) is an acceptable addition I hardly remember having seen it so high.

Casuarina suberosa is only a variety of the old C. stricta of Aiton

I take "homo sapiens" as a type of what a species is.

Trusting that your health is restored & that you will always frankly express your views, which from so exper[ienced]¹¹ a naturalist come always with great weight, I remain your regardful

Ferd. Mueller

I am still without Oenothera Tasmanica

Acacia dealbata

Acacia decurrens

Acacia discolor

Acacia mollissima

Acacia penninervis

Alsophila Australis

Alsophila excelsa

Banksia australis

Beyera oblongifolia

Beyera viscosA

Cassinia longifolia

Casuarina stricta

Casuarina suberosa

Correa Lawrenciana

Corypha

Cyathea medullaris

Dicksonia antarctica

Epacrideae

Ericeae

Eucalyptus amygdalina

Euphrasia Odontites

Euphrasia verna

Exocarpus cupressiformis

Fagus Cunninghami

Fagus Gunnii

Goodia lotifolia

Hymenanthera Banksii

Lyperanthus suaveolens

Melaleuca squarrosa

Oenothera Tasmanica

Panax sambucifolius

Plagianthus pulchellus

Pomaderris apetala

Pomaderris elliptica

Prionotes

Saxifrageae

Tetracarpaea