The Carpentaria settlements have recently become extended to the Staaten River,1 one of the first discovered in Australia by the Dutch. Here there has been found a Fig tree of vast dimensions by the occupant of the pastoral area, Mr. Joseph O'Reilly, and which I have, in consequence, named Ficus O'Reillyana.2 The lowest branches of the individual tree, of which a sketch is enclosed,3 start at about 6 feet from the ground, and extend on all sides to about 45 feet, the total height of the tree being 65 feet. The leaves and fruits (receptacles) are much smaller than those of Ficus Bengalensis,4 F. colossea, and F. Mysorensis; the intertwined air-roots join the main stem, as in the last-mentioned species. The aboriginal name of this Ficus is Yonnigaro!
Ferd. v. Mueller, Melbourne.
Ficus Bengalensis
Ficus colossea
Ficus Mysorensis
Ficus O'Reillyana
On the western side of Cape York, Qld.
No other publication of this name has been found (APNI, accessed 12 February 2021). There is a specimen collected in 1890 by 'Mr. O'Reilley' from Staaten River, MEL 2211333, with M's label, 'Ficus O'Reilleyana | Staaten-River | E shores of Carpentaria | 1890', now treated as an unidentified species of Ficus. There is a second specimen collected by 'J. O'Reilley', MEL 2209074, with M's label 'Ficus O'Reilliana F.v.M | Staten-River | 1891', identified as Ficus virens var. sublanceolata, a combination made in 1960.
Sketch not found.
Ficus benghalensis?
File not found. The text given here is from 'The Banyan tree of the Staaten River', Gardeners' chronicle, 8 November 1890, p. 526 (B90.11.01). It is dated to September as the latest likely date that it could have been sent to have been reported in this issue.
Please cite as “FVM-90-09-00e,” 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