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73.03.23b
Plant names
-
Lobelia pratioides
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Lobelia pratioides
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Preferred Citation:
Ferdinand von Mueller to John Kerr, 1873-03-23 [73.03.23b]. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id/73-03-23b>, accessed September 11, 2025
1
Letter not found; for the text given here, see B73.07.01, p. 51. Although M addressed
his letter to the Chief Inspector of Sheep, other letters published with it are directed
to or written by the Acting Chief Inspector of
Stock
, John Kerr.
Sir,
In reply to your communication, just received, I have the honor to inform you that
the weeds of which you transmit a sample, is botanically known as
, and belongs to a genus of highly poisonous plants. Hence I have no doubt that the
death of the cattle at Geelong, Maidstone, and Braybrook
is to be traced to the prevalence of this herb at this season on spots very bare
of pastoral vegetation. The best means for setting this question at rest would be
to administer the herb to a sheep or some other pastoral animal, and to watch whether
the animal thus experimented on will succumb under the same symptoms which were manifested
when the cattle at Geelong, &c., expired.
Lobelia pratioides
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2
All in Vic.
I have, &c.,
(Signed) Ferd. von Mueller,
Director of the Botanic Garden.
The Chief Inspector of Sheep.
Postscript. — I would advise that patches densely beset with the Lobelia, which is perennial,
should be ploughed and then sown with the seeds of vigorously growing perennial grasses,
clovers, luzern, &c.