9/10/87
The plant, to which you refer as such a troublesome weed, dear Mr Crawford, is the Modiola multifida, a native of North-America.
I presume, the tall somewhat pendulous Bamboo, to which you refer, is a cultivated species, as never yet any Bambusaceaus plant has been found or recorded from in N.S.W. or even in the southern parts of Queensland as wild, though one kind occurs as indigenous near Trinity-Bay,1 and one, my Bambusa Arnhemica, in the Kimberley-Country.2 Should there be a native Bamboo on the MacLeay-River,3 then I would be greatly pleased to get portion of the leaves and some flower and grains of it, also a description of soil, height, color of stem &c
Such data, as you give about the durability of the Eucal. corymbosa are of great importance, particularly so, as you can be always relied on for the identification of the trees. By all means give me any such information, as I can utilize it under your honored name already in the early part of 1888, when a new edition of the "select plants" is to appear, still further augmented.4
I am quite touched with your generosity towards the Expedition. I merely sent the circular, to show you our intentions. I am so sorry to hear of your adversities, and all the more sympathize, because I am less prosperous now than when I came as a young Doctor in 1847, though never speculating or entertaining
Regardfully your
Ferd von Mueller
Bambusa Arnhemica
Eucalyptus corymbosa
Modiola multifida
Qld.
WA.
NSW.
B88.13.02, p. 148: Eucalyptus corymbosa. 'Fence-posts from this tree showed hardly any decay after 40 years (R. Crawford)'. (Crawford's given names were Alexander Robert; it is not known why M chose to use the second initial.) The passage does not appear in the next, 1891 edition of the work.
Please cite as “FVM-87-10-09a,” 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