Document information

Physical location:

A251 Gunn correspondence, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney. 53.08.12

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Ronald Gunn, 1853-08-12. 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/1850-9/1853/53-08-12-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

1
MS envelope front: 'Ronald Gunn, Esq. J.P. F.L.S. &c &c. | near | Launceston | V.D.L.' Front post-marked Melbourne, 12 August 1853. Specimen enclosed with MS, specimen label by M: 'Trichanthodium (n.g.) skirrhophorum | Ferd. Mueller | Legi prope Cudnaka | Oct. 1851 Dr M.'
Melbourne, Collin street N. 70 East
12 Aug. 1853.
My dear Sir,
Being desirous to examine, before I commence a new journey again, the new compositae &
Umbelliferae

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yet, which I brought home, I shall intrude on your kindness and solicit a specimen of the following genera and species, with which you enriched our science.
Olearia affinis

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,
Emphysopus Gunnii

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,
Symphyomera filicula

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,
Ctenospermum alpinum

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, the 3
Leptinella

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s,
Scleroleima forsteroides

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, all
Craspedia

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,
Pterygopappus Lawrencii

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,
Raoulia

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sp., which Walpers indicates as also growing in VDL,
Centropappus Brunonis

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[,]
2
editorial addition.
Microsciadium Saxifraga

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,
Diplaspis Hydrocotyle

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, the 4 sp of
Hemiphues

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.
I possess only a few of those publications devoted by the scientific gentlemen at home to your plants, except the extracts of them in Walpers repertorium and Walpers annales.
3
Walpers (1842-8), Walpers (1848-71).
I therefore leave it to your consideration, to add this time any other
Compositae

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and
Umbelliferae

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, which you might consider either rare or instructive to me, and of the existence of which I am perhaps not yet aware. —
I beg to enclose 3 new genera which I discovered about 31° S.L. in the interior of South Australia towards Lake Torrens and which have been described my me in Professor Schlechtendals Linnaea this year.
4
B53.04.01.
The copies of the dissertation, in which a considerable number of new and very singular plants is published, did not yet arrive, otherwise I should have been happy to find you one of them.
I am also very desirous to learn from you wheather the royal Society of V.DL.
5
The Royal Society of Van Diemen's Land was established in 1844.
would give me permission to communicate the description of such Tasmanian plants as either are new or require a further elucidation
I could at once send you then some manuscripts for the Societys transaction (if desired also on other parts of the Australian vegetation) if you or Dr. Millighan
6
Joseph Milligan.
would be kind enough to undertake the perhaps disagreable duty of superintending the prints
7
M published a number of papers in the Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Van Diemen's Land (later Tasmania).
Believe me dear Sir, to be your most obedient and devoted servant
Ferd. Mueller
Ron. Gunn, Esq. J.P. &c &c
Perhaps it will be the safest plan, between here and there to adress the specimens to his Excellency,
8
Charles La Trobe.
otherwise they might come to late into my hand to be of any service for this time. May I pray for an answer?