Melbourne bot Garden
8/12/72.
Will you allow me to remark, dear Prof Gray, that when I was residing on the baltic and North Sea (1840-1846) I had ample opportunities to see the clear distinctions between Poa maritima and P. distans. The former is a stronger plant & has a long creeping root, which however is easily severed by pulling the plant & left in the sand. Possibly you have only one of the two on your coasts. You may be able to set this right for a new edition of your most valuable Manual.1 Mr. Watson2 has kindly sent me a fragment of Galax aphylla and Samolus ebracteatus. The former seems referable to Saxifrageae.
The Report,3 sent by Mr. Watson, seems to have not yet arrived. A few brief supplemental notes to my "tree list"4 and "select plants"5 would from you be most acceptable and publicly acknowledged.6
With the best wishes for the stability of your health and the progress of your glorious researches your
Ferd von Mueller.
7Melbourne bot Garden 8/12/72.
Private
Long since, dear Professor, I ought to have written to you, but for a long time past I have been subjected to much annoyance here,8 far more so than even our friend Hooker.9 Thus my time was largely wasted in merely defending my position, and almost all scientific work has come to a stand still.
Galax aphylla
Poa distans
Poa maritima
Samolus ebracteatus
Saxifrageae
A. Gray (1867), p. 628, synonyms under Heleochloa section of Glyceria. Gray commented that G. distans was 'too like the last' [G. maritima].
Sereno Watson.
Not identified.
B71.06.02.
B72.13.02.
In his introduction to B76.12.04, M acknowledged using Gray's published works among others, and some entries are specifically attributed to 'Dr. Asa Gray', eg. Vicia sitchensis, p. 254.
What follows is on a separate sheet but was presumably sent in same letter.
The Board of Inquiry into the management of the Botanic Gardens.
Joseph Hooker; see MacLeod (1974).
Please cite as “FVM-72-12-08,” 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