Strahan1
18th June 1891
Baron Ferd. Von Mueller K.C.M.G. &c
Melbourne.
My dear Baron.
It is a little more than three years since you invoked my aid in procuring ripe fruit specimens of Panax Gunnii, Pentachondra verticillata and P. ericaefolia.2
The fruit of the Panax was forwarded some time ago & I have since found the plant growing on the Wilson R. a Tributary of the Pieman, as well as the two other localities recorded viz the Franklin River and Strahan to Mt Lyell road (at 6 & 11 miles) The elevation at which it flourishes is about similar in all localities named — about 500 to 600 feet above sea level, & it is a slender shrub only — from six inches to four feet high.
I now have the great pleasure of sending under separate cover the fruit & flowers of the two Pentachondra's.
The first locality where I discovered them was on the summit of Mt Tyndal, about a month ago, but not being in fruit I decided to wait until this was obtainable, and on the 16th inst had the good fortune to find both plants on Mt Read bearing fruit and flowers The greatest height at which they occur is between 3.800 & 3.900 feet and the lowest elevation about 3.6.003 above sea level, both being in close proximity.
P. verticillata is a low shrub from 6 inches to 18 inches high, many branches coming from the same root, forming a plant covering a space about two feet in diameter The fruit is white outside & small
P. ericaefolia4 is a slender creeping shrub in length about 18 inches & height 6 inches, the berry is red & slightly larger than the above mentioned — both berries have terminal points similar to the leaf of P. verticillata (acicular) The creeper may be observed with its flowers just protruding through the matted moss, with its stems running below this sward 3 to 4 inches —5
The larger red berry forwarded is plentiful, but the specimen sent of moss is rare — both are found at the same altitude as the Pentachondra's
I have also discovered a very fine bed of Eucalyptus muellerii6 in the alpine country east of Mt Tyndal, alititude7 about 2.200 feet above sea level — The trees are not so large as those on the Wellington range between New Norfolk & Victoria but have the same characteristics — the largest being about 2 feet in diameter and 120 ft high.
I am anticipating the great pleasure of making your personal acquaintance at the next meeting of the Members of the Association of Science8
I have the honor to be
Yours faithfully
T. B. Moore.
Eucalyptus muellerii
Panax Gunnii
Pentachondra ericaefolia
Pentachondra verticillata
Tas.
No letter from M seeking Moore’s help in this way has been found.
3,600?
M has crossed out 'P. ericaefolia' and written 'Cyathodes ascendens' [C. adscendens?] above it and ‘Leaves [two illegible words]’ in the margin beside it.
Marginal annotation by M: 'Leaves grow underneath'.
E. muelleri?
altitude?
i.e. The fourth Congress of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, Hobart, January 1892.
MS annotation by M: 'Answ 2/8/91 6/8/91 F.v.M.' Letters not found.
Please cite as “FVM-91-06-18,” 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