Document information

Physical location:

A251 Gunn correspondence, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney. 53.07.28

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Ronald Gunn, 1853-07-28. 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//letters/1850-9/1853/53-07-28-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

1
MS envelope front: 'Ronald Gunn, Esq JP. | near Launceston | V.D.L.' Front post-marked Launceston, 6 August 1853.
Melbourne, Collin Street, N. 70 East
28. July 53.
Dear Sir,
Acknowledging the receipt of your letter from 22. instant,
2
Letter not found.
which has been the source of great pleasure to me, and considering that your kind attendance to my wishes at present would cost considerable trouble, I would propose that our mutual communications of plants should be postponed til next year, as I become convinced that my time will hardly permit me to accomplish the examination of the new plants of my last journey before I starte again for a further examination of the country.
This new tour will most likely occupy me for 8 or 9 months, and I shall be therefore reluctantly obliged to abandon for that period all my botanical correspondence. But I hope, that after my return you will be pleased to select such species for the collection here, as I will mention, and that my aequivalent, including then no doubt many a interesting sp. more, will be also of greater satisfaction to you. Meanwhile, my dear Sir, you might find a period of tranquillity, to lay aside for me some rareties of your island, which, as undescribed yet, are unknown to me.
It is perhaps of some interest to you to learn, that I found to my delight amongst
Podocarpus montana

Search for Podocarpus montana in

and some other alpine plants the
Ranunculus Gunnianus

Search for Ranunculus Gunnianus in

on the summit of Mount Buller.
The
Panax Gunnii

Search for Panax Gunnii in

must be a very interesting plant. I have from here 4 different species (P. dendroides, Dallachii, paucilobus & angustifolius), but none of them bears any close alliance to yours. The Schizaea from here, which you mention, is, I suppose the Sch. bifida of Swartz, the only one near Melbourne known to me. This as well as an other sp. from Gipps land are different from S. fistulosa Lab., which I posses from V.DL.
Hibbertia virgata

Search for Hibbertia virgata in

, which you mentioned from this neighboorhood is the true H. fasciculata of RBr according to the ample description in DC. syst.,
3
A. P. de Candolle (1818-21), vol. 1, p. 428.
notwithstanding it occurs in Hook. icon
4
W. Hooker (1836-54), vol. 3, t. 267.
by the name virgata, and the Hibb. prostrata is nothing more than a variety of it.
Pleurandra densiflora

Search for Pleurandra densiflora in

Hook. appears according to his description no different from P. sericea R.Br.
I have the honor, dear Sir, to subscribe my self your devoted servant
Ferd. Mueller.
R. Gunn, Esq. J.P. &c.