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From Ferdinand von Mueller to David Martin   [Dec 1887]

[We have received the following note from the Secretary for Agriculture:1—With reference to the thistle forwarded by you to Mr. Pearson,2 I have the honour to inform you the Government Botanist has advised me that it is the "Carduus pycnocephalus." It is not a perennial, and it can be kept in check by preventing the thistle from seeding. The thistle referred to is the one commonly called the "Italian thistle," and has a slim stem with small pink heads. As it is regarded as useless for feed purposes it should be of interest to landowners to know that cutting it when in flower will destroy it.]

Carduus pycnocephalus

1

David Martin.

2

Perhaps A.N. Pearson, the Government Agricultural Chemist.

3

Letter not found. The text given here is from Bacchus Marsh express, 24 December 1887, p. 3.

Please cite as “FVM-87-12-00m,” 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 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/87-12-00m