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From William Bacchus to Ferdinand von Mueller   23 Apr 1879

Dear Baron von Mueller

The enclosed plant was given me by Mr Morrison who said it was overrunning certain parts of the country near Geelong1 and smothering the nutritious grasses It is apparently a plantago and indigenous, it is possible that stock and dry weather have overcome the grasses and that the former avoid this plant will you kindly examine it — I raised no plants of the seed of the Tussock grass you sent me A few plants of an Annual poa came up where the seed was sown have your heard of any tussock grass plants coming up from this seed — This locality is too cold I think for the Teo sinte grass to grow none of the seed you sent came up and the seed was good but I have a few plants of the Tricolaena rosea2 from the seed you sent they have not yet flowered — If you have any more of the seed of the Teo sinte (Euchlaena luxurians) to spare I should like to have a little to send to a friend in Rockhampton I thought the Argus rather hard on your letter about the poison plant of New Guinea3 but great men must expect to be attacked now and then it is a penalty attached to their position — With kind regards in which Mrs Bacchus unites

I remain

Yours faithfully

W. H. Bacchus

Peerewur4 23/4/79

Baron von Mueller MD

Euchlaena luxurians

Tricolaena rosea

1

Vic.

2

i.e. Tricholaena rosea.

3

On 14 April 1879, p. 3, the Argus reprinted from the Sydney morning herald, without comment, M's letter to J. Jefferis, 3 April 1879. No subsequent comment has been found.

4

Bacchus's homestead near Bacchus Marsh, Vic.

Please cite as “FVM-79-04-23,” 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 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/79-04-23