4/4/96.
Among the plants, just received from you, dear Mr Tyson, is N. 1 an Acacia in abnormal (monstrous) flowering state, — the plant found by your brother1 on the stony Hills. I am glad, that he also keeps his eyes upon uncommon plant. Kindly ask him to pick up all sorts of very minute plants this season for me. I like him also to send a sample of any herb (not only grass), on which Herds and flocks feed with avidity there, and to mark it as such.
| 8, | Bulbine semibarbata Haworth This likely could be traced northward to within the circle of capricorn, if any one on the great pastures just within the tropics could be induced to collect |
| 6 | Dianella but flowers and fruits absent |
| 2 | Candollea Perhaps new. As I have only one flower on the specimen sent, could you let me have your2 on loan? |
| 3 | Ptilotus parvifolius FvM. A rare species only twice found before. The Ptilotus from the hills is very different but without leaves. I like particularly to get notes on any plants horses, cattle or sheep will feed on, as growing on saline flats, as the number of really good pasture plants on salty ground is very limited. |
Brachychiton Gregorii FvM This is the tree with deeply 3-lobed leaves. Could more seeds be obtained? |
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| The Acacia, which yields gum there is A. Sentis, FvM | |
| 5, | I do not remember to have seen this Salt-Bush before Is it tall. I will examine it carefully and if new will name it in honor of you. The specimens however seem not in ripe fruit3 |
| 4 | Ptilotus divaricatus, FvM |
Regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller
Can you give me the adress of any one likely to pick up plants for me just within or near Capricorn?
Perhaps you would, to save time, write to someone for me just within the tropics
Acacia Sentis
Brachychiton Gregorii
Bulbine semibarbata
Candollea
Dianella
Ptilotus divaricatus
Ptilotus parvifolius
Probably William Tyson, who jointly owned the pastoral lease of Mount Narryer station, WA, with Isaac Tyson. Another brother, John Tyson, is a less likely possibility.
yours?
Tyson did not use a single collecting number sequence, and of his two specimens at MEL dated 1896 numbered 5, only MEL 608218 is a salt bush, Atriplex amnicola, described by Wilson & George in 1994; other authors earlier in the 20th century had referred specimens to M's Atriplex rhagodioides.
Please cite as “FVM-96-04-04a,” 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