From John McLachlan to Ferdinand von Mueller   10 Mar 1885

BOTANIC GARDENS SYDNEY

N.S.W.1

Botanic Gardens

Sydney, 10th March, 1885

Baron F. Von Mueller

Melbourne

Sir,

On receipt of your letter2 yesterday morning I placed it in Mr Betche's hands, who immediately went to Mossman's Bay,3 where he found flowering specimens of the new rubiaceous plant, which I send you by today's mail. This plant grows on the top of a flat sandstone hill near to Mossman's Bay, remote from all houses and gardens. The top of the hill is mostly bare rock, with the exception of a thin layer of humus formed of decayed mosses in the shallow cavities of the flat rocks. A dense green turf covers this layer, and the plants found in it are principally Cynodon, Killingia, and the specimen now forwarded to you.

I regret we have not any fruiting specimens of Haloragis salsoloides; nor has Mr Betche ever yet found a living plant of this species.

Mr Moore returns via Melbourne, and he is expected to arrive there sometime during this week.4

I am, Sir,

Your most obedient servant

John McLachlan

Clerk

Cynodon

Haloragis salsoloides

Killingia

Letterhead printed around the British crown.

Letter not found.

Sydney Harbour.

Charles Moore was returning to Sydney from a period of leave in Europe.

MS found with a specimen of Richardia stellaris (MEL 2268397), accompanied by an unsigned draft in M's handwriting of a letter to Joseph Hooker; see M to J. Hooker, 11 March 1885 (in this edition as 85-03-11a).

Please cite as “FVM-85-03-10a,” 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/85-03-10a