Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M1, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 81.12.08

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Benedetto Scortechini to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1881-12-08. 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/81-12-08>, accessed September 11, 2025

1
MS annotation by M: 'Endiandra? with large fruit'.
Roma
2
Qld.
8th December 1881
Dear Baron
I have been tossed over 300 miles west of my usual residence. Till the end of the expiring year I shall knock about this place. The trips which I planned for Wilson's Peak Fraser's Island, Bundberg
3
Bundaberg, Qld?
have been blown to pieces by adverse winds. My Wilson's Peak trip on horseback was superseded by a trip to Warwick by rail. For the last few months I have not been master of my movements, however, after Chrismas I hope to have more time for myself.
Last Saturday week I was home, where I got your brief letter.
4
Letter not found.
Perhaps further correspondence from you will wait there my return. In answer to your last in hand I beg to say that the large oval fruit is that of
Endiandra Muellerii

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your fruit; in the note which I have appended
5
Note not found.
to said plant I mention my sending you this fruit. From the Flora I see that it is undescribed.
6
In Bentham (1863-78), vol. 5, p. 302, Bentham notes of E. Muelleri: 'Fruit not seen'.
It is worth describing it in your Fragmenta. It seems to be very large for its congeners. — The best specimen I could gather of
Clematis

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No 175 has been sent to you. It was growing at the top of a stony mound isolated in the midst of a plain. It was scarse there and out of flower with no fruit. I took particular notice of the leaves which I found, every one of them, simple. As the plant withers, there is no change
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chance.
of getting better specimens till next spring. I will look out. — I plucked all the flowers of
Cupania

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No 126, they were few, so when I went again to look for fruit, there was none. — of
Myrtus

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No 169 and
Leptospermum

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No 154 will gather fruit, I hope, next month. I know only one little nest of
Loranthus Bidwillii

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growing on a pine at the mouth of Nerang Creek. If the flowers are out at my next visit to that district, the berries will be there I hope.
Since I wrote to you last I have seen the Revd. Tenison-Woods and mentioned to him your kind offer of proposing him a fellow of the Royal Society.
8
J. Tenison Woods was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Royal Society of London in 1883, with M as his principal sponsor, and again in 1884 and then each year from 1886 to 1888.
He would be glad of the honor. He told me he was going to write to you on the subject. I expect he has done it already.
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Letter not found.
You may kindly take steps for his proposal. His scientific labours deserve some honorable recognition. Yesterday he started for Bathurst N. S. Wales. Between scientific and ecclesiastic work he has been labouring hard in the past few months.
I am terribly disappointed with this place in a botanical point of view. Few desert plants make their appearance here. There only one
Eucalyptus

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, which I have not identified as yet, the Acacia pendula , and another brigalow; sometimes I meet Acacia Farnesiana very stunted in growth. Two heremophilas,
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Eremophilas?
Mitchelli and longifolia, gejera parviflora,
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Geijera parviflora?
and
Apophyllum anomalum

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constitute mostly the whole scrub and forest vegetation.
Boerhavia diffusa

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,
Tribulus terrestris

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, and several
Chenopodiaceae

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monopolize the small growth. To-morrow I will be out exploring, with little success, I expect. In a hundred miles of this country there are not many more varieties than in one single acre.
I do not know whether you may wish to have some particular observation made on some plants, which may be growing about here; if so let me know it at once. You may address your letter to Roma, from where I shall start towards the end of the month, so an early letter from you will find me here, any other will get me at the Logan.
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Logan River, Qld.
With my best regards I remain
Your humble Servant
B Scortechini