To William Thiselton-Dyer   24 January 1884

24/1/84.1

 

You asked for seeds of Duboisia Hopwoodii, dear Mr Dyer; berries quite freshly gathered, have just arrived and are forwarded herewith.

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.

 

The plants must not be placed in a very damp house; it is a native of the dry hot regions of Central Australia, but there seeks some humidity for the roots, it is otherwise with D. myoporoides, a littoral plant, which likes damp forest-air. Seedlings of D. Hopwoodii would readily damp off in a close frame.2 The Rev. H. Kempe says, that this Duboisia is in his district only to be found on sandhills.

So it will be best to try the seeds in various soils and various temperatures of heat.3

 

Duboisia myoporoides

Duboisia Hopwoodii

1
Annotated in William Watson's hand: 'Recd 11-3-84', and in Thiselton-Dyer's hand:'Thanked March 15/84'.
2
Annotated in William Watson's hand: 'Noted | W.W.'
3
A memorandum at Kew (Royal Gardens, Kew Memorandum, f. 279), stamped 22 June 1887, suggests that the seeds did not germinate or that the plants did not thrive.

Please cite as “FVM-84-01-24,” 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 19 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/84-01-24