5/8/85
The one Eucalyptus, of which you sent specimen-branchlets this day, dear Mr Watson,1 is botanically known as Eucalyptus Sieberiana; the aborigines call it "Yomut"; the colonists call it by different names in different places, some "Gumtop", some Mountain Ash, but it is not the ordinary Ironbark-tree of Victoria, though possibly it may have got that name improperly in some places on account of the rugged nature of the bark. Mr W A. Howitt, the Police Magistrate of Sale, informed me, that he did not find the wood of Eucalyptus Sieberiana lasting underground. I would therefore advise, that you obtain from him full information on this point, which he locally can best afford after so many years experience in Gippsland. The second sample of branchlets belongs to Eucalyptus obliqua, the Messmate-Stringybark. You will obtain full information on these trees from my Eucalyptography.2
Regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller.
Would it not be well, to enter in all contracts when specifying the woods to be used in parenthesi also the scientific (latin) name?, it being now so easy from my work to do so.3
Eucalyptus obliqua
Eucalyptus Sieberiana
See R. Watson to M, 5 August 1885 (in this edition as 85-08-05b).
B79.13.11, Decades 2 and 3 respectively.
Letter marked: 'Mr Darbyshire The Eucalyptus Sieberiana or "Silvertop ironbark" cannot be accepted for piles. R.W. 6/8/85'; 'This refers to samples of timber from Gippsland which Mr Buckley wanted to use for Bacchus Marsh and Maddingley Line. The samples were taken on [to] Mr Mueller by Mr Peyton Jones. R.P.'; 'Yes! P.J. 21/9/85'; and 'file with other papers from Mr Buckley recently R.P. 29/9/85'.
Please cite as “FVM-85-08-05c,” 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