To Edward Ramsay   18 March 1887

18/3/87

The little slender weed, just sent by you, dear Doctor Ramsay, is Mollugo Cerviana; your brother has thus added a new locality to the few of this plant for Australia, and it shall be recorded under his name. It is with delight that I learn of the new chances arising though your brother's gardener for the botanic exploration of the remotest N.W. of N.S.W. It is a most important region for the geography of plants indeed, as from this corner of N.S.W. doubtless yet a large number of spec. will be added to the records of the Flora of your colonial territory, as coming from the N. and the W. into your colony. Besides a search in that region towards and at the boundary will yet add southern forms to the Flora of QL. and Central Australia, particularly if the minute plants such as this Mollugo are well looked after in the spring. Of course, shrubs of all sorts will be in fruit also in summer and autumn, so saltbushes, water-plants &c. We do not even yet know the northern limits of the Quandong, the Mallee, Myall &c — Even of many Central Australian Acacias also the fruits with ripe seeds are not known, so that I cannot give illustrations of them in the Decades yet. The second will appear in a week or two, and you shall have a copy; for 4 more the plates are lithographed, but not yet printed.¹

Let your brother send small parcels either in flower or in fruit by successive mails. I feel sure, many discoveries will be made as well on the plains as on the Barrier & Grey Ran[ges]² I hope some members of the L.S.³ of N.SW. will be able to explore Mt Seaview⁴ during the Easter-Holidays, and that you be one of the party. It is scientifically quite a new place, — not even yet the exact altitude of the mountain being ascertained, its height probably being much over-rated. Autumn is an excellent season for the work, as much of animal life can also then be observed, as fruiting specimens of plants are as valuable as flowering ones, as the hypsometric observations could be made, the geologic features be noted, — all within close settlements, though perhaps for a few miles a track may have to be cut.

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.

If you will send me an account of the accident, I will submit it to Mr Wilkes, M.L.A., the President of the Royal Humane Society of Australia, also to the Hon. Secr, who is a Capt R.N., and I will see that your bravery will be rewarded by the Society.⁵

It will be a great prize, if you get the fruit of the Bennettian Alga, we shall then see, whether it ought to go un[der] the genus Vanvorstia or be separated as Sondera,⁶ and you shall get full credit for this.

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.

Mollugo Cerviana

Acacia

Sondera

Vanvorstia