From Frederick Bailey   12 September 1887

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 1/2 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 1/2 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 2 1/2 lines broad, and shortly clawed. Glands distinct very broad and densely ciliate with long white hairs. Capsule oblong about 1/2 in. long densely clothed by stellate hairs, and bearing the prominently divided styles.

Hab Balmont¹ scrubs — in fl. in Sept²

Ricinocarpus speciosus