Ivanhoe Cottage
15 Robert St. Brisbane
Baron Ferd. von Mueller F.R.S. &c. &c.
My dear Sir
A few weeks back I was out at Coopers Plains that is say 8 or 10 miles South of Brisbane. And on the ridges I noticed a new (to me) species of Eucalypt a sample of which I send you by this mail. The flowers are not out as yet but I have made arrangements with a person on the spot to send them off the same tree that these came off so soon as they are out. At first sight you will perhaps take it for a variety of Blackbut E. pilularis, Sm. but it differs from that species in many ways first this new species is more stringy than any other of the Queensland Eucalypt[s]2 the inner bark being quite tough it has also stringy bark right up both trunk & branches the wood is said to be good and used for posts & rails and is of a yellowish colour the inner bark is especially yellow. The foliage is somewhat glaucus3 with very oblique leaves as you will observe. The shape of fruit vessel also differs from any I know being as you will see slightly urceolate 3-celled and ribbed or corrugated. — The general height & bulk of this tree is equal to that of the Bloodwood E. corymbosa Sm 4
I wish if you could find time you would look through my Eucalypt and let me have the results with also the name of this species if it is named;5 for I fail to find it in the Flora6
Your very truly
and much obliged
F. M. Bailey
P.S. You will of course have heard of the death of Mr Thozet of Rockhampton7 He was a good kind hearted man and an enthusiastic botanist and science will feel his loss deeply
FMB
Eucalyptus corymbosa
Eucalyptus pilularis
Please cite as “FVM-78-06-00,” 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 26 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/78-06-00