To William Thiselton-Dyer   28 August 1889

28/8/89¹

From the enclosed telegram² you will perceive, dear Mr Dyer, that an effort is made, to get Verticordia oculata and V. grandis into the conservatories of Kew. If I succeed in this, I shall regard it as the greatest triumph gained by me in ornamental culture!³ It is not an exaggeration to say, that I have written at least one hundred letters to W.A. purposely during the last thirty years, to accomplish this!⁴ — The sandplain south of the Geraldine-mine⁵ is not easily reached, and when I was there myself in November 1877, the heat was already so scortching, that it was hopeless to carry living plants for a long distance on a packhorse. Seeds were procured over and over again, but these kinds of myrtaceous plants somehow are obstinate in yielding seedlings. I have telegraphed to the Resident Magistrate of K.G. Sound,⁶ to see the case with plants kindly on board of the English Mail-Steamer, and to ask the Captain, to be so friendly, as to take the plants under his special care. You might give the man a trifle, who will water and shade the plants during the voyage, and who will bring them to Kew,⁷ should they not have perished on the way. In the latter case, we must renew the experiment in the next cool season. I expect cuttings of these rare and unsurpassingly beautiful Verticordias and might try, to get some across to you wrapped up in moist moss and tin-sheet. Look at your specimens in the Kew Herbarium! If once you have the plants, they could be multiplied from cuttings with bottom-warmth under a bell-glass.⁸ I shall send you now ferns from the Louisiades,⁹ also a Schoenus¹⁰ from there, which must be kept in that genus, though the pistil is somewhat articulated. I refrain from describing it here, as it may be the Malaian¹¹ species, noted in the "gen. pl."¹² If however new, it might receive Sir Will MacGregors name from Mr Clarke and myself.

Always regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.

Perhaps after all the people did not get hold of the right kinds of Verticordia I like to keep the experiment in my own hands.¹³

These very local Verticordias will be among the plants, which by sheep-depasturing will soon be swept out of existence.¹⁴

Schoenus

Verticordia grandis

Verticordia oculata