The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Cometville ¶ April 26 1879 ¶ Dear Baron von Mueller ¶ ¶ I hope you have received the last collection I sent you ¶ by this time. I have had another run about the ranges here and have come across a v...

Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M16, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 79.04.26

Plant names

Acacia Stenophylla
Search for Acacia Stenophylla in
- This website
- Australian Plant Name Index
Aristida tomentosa
Search for Aristida tomentosa in
- This website
- Australian Plant Name Index
Hibiscus radiatus
Search for Hibiscus radiatus in
- This website
- Australian Plant Name Index
Lapago eristata
Search for Lapago eristata in
- This website
- Australian Plant Name Index
Panicum
Search for Panicum in
Solanum
Search for Solanum in

Preferred Citation:

Patrick O'Shanesy to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1879-04-26. 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/1870-9/1879/79-04-26-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

MS found with a specimen of semiarmatum (MEL 12124). MS annotation by M: 'Native names of Eucal?'

Cometville

Qld.

April 26 1879

Dear Baron von Mueller

I hope you have received the last collection I sent you

P. O'Shanesy to M, 15 April 1879?

by this time. I have had another run about the ranges here and have come across a very fine acacia which I have not seen before, and which I cannot find in the Flora . It belongs to the section Racemosae, it has large oblong phyllodia 4 to 6 inches long, and 2½ to 4 inches wide, prominently 1 nerved and penninerved, and the rascemes are many flowered, and as long as the leaves, the whole plant glabrous or glaucous, the bark is dark and hard. I have not seen the fruit: it is a very rare shrub here. I have also found a very interesting . The whole plant, with the exception of the peduncles and flowers covered with innumerable, straight brown prickles nearly half an inch long The flowers are smal, blue in a compact, terminal raceme: the peduncles and pedicels are densely tomentose, and the leaves are broadly oblong, cordate at the base, and deeply lobed or pinnatifid, green above, while tomentose underneath. I have not seen the fruit but will send sample of plant soon. The leave are 4 to 6 inches long and 3 to 4 inches wide. Very rare here. After sending away my last collection I found in looking over the duplicates that my no. 3082, which I believe I sent as a panicum is evidently a Lapago ;

Lappago?

I would suggest the name of L. eristata .

This name has not been found (APNI, IPNI, each accessed 30 January 2022).

I[s] my acacia n. 3043 A. Stenophylla , Cunn. Acacia ns. 3028 & 3056 are valuable timber trees, I should like to be sure of their correct names. I presume n. 3030 is Hibiscus radiatus? Do you know the acacia from the Barcoo district

Qld.

known there by the name of "gidgy"? It has a stinking smell, and a wound caused by it is said to fester suddenly and become very troublesome. There is another tree, I believe one of the acacias from the same district know as "boree" What A is it? They yield valuable timber for cabinet makers. Which of the Eucalypts is the "Coolibah" of Queensland explorers? it grows along the banks & beds of rivers. I enclose a fragment of the prickly above refered to.

Trusting you will excuse my interrogations which I merely make with a view to the utilisation of the trees.

I am Dear Baron

Yours Sincerely

P. A. O'Shanessy

Aristida n. 3068, which I believe to be a new sp. I have named A. tomentosa , if you have not it named already.

This name has not been found ((APNI, IPNI, each accessed 30 January 2022).

N. 3083 is perhaps a variety.