Moyston1
16/1/84
Dear Sir
You will, I am certain, be glad to hear that we have safely returned from our excursion to the Australia Alps. Your remarks that I would see much that was new to me were correct, but not to the extent I expected. We travelled over a great extent of country the vegetation of which was certainly luxuriant but having been already several times through Gippsland most of the plants were familiar to me. I have added about 100 new ones to my collection many of which I identified by the aid of the Flora Australiens[is]2 of which Mr Stirling3 has 7 volumes, the others will be forwarded to you for determination by that Gentleman. The few Cryptogams collected on Mt Kosciusko I send you herewith.
While among the rocks on the highest part of the mt (Mr Stirling being at the same time fully engaged among the shrubs and other Phanerogamic plants) I was unfortunately caught in a dense fog, and was obliged to run for the camp which was 4 miles distant, meeting Mr Stirling on my way. If I did not secure many I am at least satisfied that the next searcher will not find many for the number is extremely limited. I find no mountains in my travels equal to the Grampians for the number and variety of its plants.
I found considerable pleasure in travelling in your footsteps4 which I could at once see was the case when I came upon Ranunculus Millani, R. Anemoneus, R. Muelleri, & R Gunnianus, although the fact of your being there convinced me that I would make few discoveries. I regret to learn that you have been suffering from a severe cold, the effects of which I hope you have by this time shaken off. I send herewith two packets of such apparently ripe fruits of the supposed Tillaea of Mt Ararat as I could find.
Yours faithfully
D. Sullivan.5
No 1
Mt Ararat
Sept 8th 1883
D Sullivan
Could only [find]6 one plant in flower & that with a single flower [o]n.
Parts quinary
Calyx 5-parted
Corolla 5 parted, white.
Stamens 5,
Styles 2, sport.
Stigmas blunt.
Please give me the specific name of the grass-tree (Catkin in my possession 7 ft. long) under C.
50
near Mallee country
Nov. 1879
D Sullivan
Ranunculus Anemoneus
Ranunculus Gunnianus
Ranunculus Millani
Ranunculus Muelleri
Tillaea
Vic.
Bentham (1863-78). Editorial addition - text runs off the page.
James Stirling.
M had visited the same parts of the Australian Alps, including Mt Kosciuszko, in early 1854.
The following three notes about specimens, each on a separate piece of paper, are filed with this letter. Probably only the first one was sent with this letter.
editorial addition.
MS annotation by M: 'Answ 19/1/84 FvM.' Letter not found.
Please cite as “FVM-84-01-16,” 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