To François Bruwaert¹    30 March 1887

Melbourne

30 March 1887,

The Consul for France, Melbourne

Sir,

In reply to your enquiry about the Boussingaultia baselloides, I have the honor to inform you, that this climber is exclusively a native of South-America, where its mucilaginous tubers are used for food. This plant is cultivated in South-France and Algeria, so that it could easily be introduced from there to Reunion.

In the French enlarged edition of my work on select plants, now brought out by Prof. Dr. Charles Naudin, also a brief note on the Boussingaultia occurs.²

I avail myself of this opportunity to solicit, that a root of the Nastus-Bamboo may be sent from Reunion fresh to us here, as this superb Bamboo occurs only in high mountain-regions of Reunion and no where else; as yet this rare plant, which would live without protection here, has not yet been introduced. If I could learn, what plants or seeds from here would be acceptable at Reunion, it would give me particular pleasure to provide them.

I have the honor, Sir, to be your very obedient

Ferd. von Mueller

The Nastus-root would require to be merely packed in an ordinary case quite closed, and would come quite safely here shipped as ordinary merchandise.

Postscript

The Boussingaultia-tubers could never for extensive nutriment replace the potato, nor are they as yet reared for practical culinary purposes anywhere in Victoria.

Boussingaultia baselloides

Nastus