Ferdinand von Mueller

1

MS found with a specimen of Dittrichia graveolens (MEL 2073205).

Botanic Road Adelaide

May 9th 1876

My dear Baron

I send herewith a complete plant It is a tolerably typical specimen. Luxurious plants are sometimes 3 or 4 times wider and a foot taller but this shows the habit pretty well. It is called stink weed

2

See also A. Paterson to M, 24 April 1876.

here why I dont know as the smell is strong but not disagreeable I cant say where it came from, but it is spreading all over the cultivated lands, and imparts its own odour to the atmosphere in places where it is abundant. Till lately my own impression has been that it is indigenous. The florets of the ray and disk are distinctly and pronouncedly yellow . The anthers have tails, which I observed under the microscope after carefully dissecting a tubular floret. I have remarked it in the vicinity of Adelaide for at least the last 4 years.

Many thanks for your enclosures.

3

M's letter and enclosures not found.

Before sending the list of plants to the Surveyor General I took the liberty of copying it which I trust you will not disapprove. I may say that Mr Goyder is away in Tasmania at present I know Dr Davies and will take an early opportunity of urging him to fulfil his promise to obtain for you one of the 16 sets of Schultz's Port Darwin plants so far as the 3d sending is concerned.

4

i.e. F. Schultze. He sent five consignments of plant ansd animal specimens to Adelaide during his 1869-70 stay in the Northern Territory. The third consignment was despatched on 28 September 1869 (Wallis (2020)). M requested a set in M to R. Schomburgk, 15 November 1869, and M to G. Goyder, 15 November 1869 (in this edition as 69-11-15a).

M did not receive a full set: b ecause of M's 'excentrick behaviour towards me' , Schomburgk deliberately kept from M any unique specimens, which instead he sent to Kew in their set (R. Schomburgk to G. Bentham, 19 August 1869, in this edition as M69-08-16). M had evidently asked for Paterson's help in obtaining a complete set in his response to A. Paterson to M, 24 April 1876 .

I am truly sorry to learn that no improvement has as yet taken place in your position