Brisbane
Septr12th 1887
Dear Baron
I send with this a specimen of the rare shrub Ricinocarpus speciosus Muell Arg. with copy of a description run out for my coming supplement—
"a tall slender erect shrub to 5-to-7 ft high. branches clothed by a close hoary slightly rusty stellate tomentum. Leaves shortly petiolate, oblong-linear or lanceolate the margins recurved the upper surface bright green when old, but while young covered by stellate hairs, densely white tomentose on the undersurface, 3 or more inches long and over ½ in broad on petioles of about 3 lines. Bracts linear nearly as long as the pedicels Flowers terminal about five together mostly male, the pedicels about ½ in long, with a pair of minute bracteoles about the middle. Calyx lobes 2 lines long, 1 line broad rather obtuse larger under the fruit. Petals white oblong 5 lines long 2½ lines broad, and shortly clawed. Glands distinct very broad and densely ciliate with long white hairs. Capsule oblong about ½ in. long densely clothed by stellate hairs, and bearing the prominently divided styles.
Hab Balmont1 scrubs — in fl. in Sept2
Ricinocarpus speciosus
The a has been altered in pencil to e and Qld added, possibly by M.
Text ends at bottom of page, without valediction. For Bailey's published description, see Bailey (1888), p. 54. In Bailey's letter-register, the subject-matter of this letter is given as 'Specim of new Hibbertia & Ricinocarpus' (Herbarium Department, letters & packets despatched, Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane).
MS found with a specimen of Ricinocarpus speciosus (MEL 2065799).
Please cite as “FVM-87-09-12a,” 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