The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: ¶ [The Secretary read a letter from Dr. F. Mueller, of Melbourne, in reply to a letter of inquiry ¶ respecting the practicability of introducing into Tasmania the hardy arborescent cotton plant whic...

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62.04.00c

Plant names

Grosypium Peruvianum
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Grosypium arboretum
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Grosypium barbareuse
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Grosypium herbareum
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to the Royal Society of Tasmania, 1862-04 [62.04.00c]. 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/1860-9/1862/62-04-00c-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

Letter not found. The text given here is from a report of the meeting of the Royal Society of Tasmania in the Mercury (Hobart), 1 May 1862, p. 3. [The date of the meeting in the report appears to be in error; the newspaper (p. 2) gives 'Thursday 8 April'. But in 1862, 8 April was a Tuesday. However, Tuesday seems to have been the regular meeting day for the Society in 1862.]

[The Secretary read a letter from Dr. F. Mueller, of Melbourne, in reply to a letter of inquiry

Letter not found.

respecting the practicability of introducing into Tasmania the hardy arborescent cotton plant which had been mentioned at a previous meeting of the Society. Dr. Mueller expressed some doubts as to whether the Peruvian cotton-tree of Mr. Kendall was the

Printer's misreading of Gossypium arboreum?

of the East, deeming it probable that it was the which is known to attain the height of 12 feet and represents similarly in the Orient, as

Printer's misreading of Gossipium barbadense?

represents in America, the

Printer's misreading of herbaceum? M discusses these species of Gossipium in B91.09.01, p. 219.

of Persia. The species of either hemi-sphere are quite distinct, although they are often mistaken for each other, in consequence of their having been now naturalised in the tropics of both hemispheres. There were instances on record of the having produced fully 1000 capsules on a single plant. This view accorded with Mr. Kendall's account of the fecundity of the plant from the Chipurana.

A district in Peru.

is a upland species, but he (Dr. M.) had not been previously aware that it was hardier than its congeners. If this were so, as its mountainous habitat would indicate, it is an important fact, which ought, as the Royal Society of Tasmania had suggested, to be taken advantage of. He (Dr. M.) should feel happy to aid in any way in promoting its introduction. He had accordingly asked Mr. Ledger, who was about to proceed to Chili and Peru for Alpacas, to procure some seed there, and would write to some Indian Botanical friends for seeds of .

Letter not found. The report concludes 'after some conversational discussion on the very interesting contributions, and the desirability of introducing this hardy cotton tree into Tasmania, a vote of thanks was passed unanimously to the donors to the Society, and to Dr. Mueller for his obliging offer of assistance.'

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