Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M5, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 79.12.23a

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Frederick Bailey to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1879-12-23 [79.12.23a]. 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/1870-9/1879/79-12-23a-final.odt>, accessed May 15, 2026

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MS annotation by M: 'Answ | 28/12/79 | FvM'. Letter not found.
First sheet of MS, and the separate sheet headed 'Bastard Bloodwood', found with a specimen of Corymbia sp. (MEL 232043). Second sheet of MS, commencing 'No 2', found with specimen of Eucalyptus melanophloia (MEL 230497). In his notebook (Notebook, Colonial Botanist, Queensland Herbarium, Brisbane), Bailey records this letter as follows:
Dec 23rd 1879
Sent Baron Mueller the 2 Eucalypts brought from the Ravenswood & Charters Tower ranges for Rev. J. E. Tenison woods
No 1 Leaves ovate p[…]ate at the base tree 30 ft high Bark yellowish brown both on trunk & branches scaly scales [soft] E. peltata Benth.
No 2 tree 20 ft high leaves opposite, cordate auriculate, sessile, all similar and glaucous E. pruinosa Schau.
Robert St Brisbane
Dec 23rd 1879
Dear Baron Mueller
The Rev J E Tenison Woods has returned to Brisbane from his tour in our northern parts and brought a rich collection of one thing and another among the botanical specimens which he kindly handed over to me are two Eucalypts which may be interesting to you so I forward them at once.
No 1 He describes as a tree about 30 ft. high with a very scaly light-brown or yellow bark, which character persists even in the smaller branches
No 2 Is a very low tree growing on stony ranges with an ironbark very hard and much split about 20 ft high leaves opposite cordate auriculate sessile to the terminal branches No difference in the older trees All covered with a blue bloom Called bastard Ironbark
Habitat Ravenswood & Charters Towers ranges No 1 most rare.
Don't forget to put
Angophora Woodsiana

Search for Angophora Woodsiana in

in the next Fragmenta. And also a peculiar Daviesia I sent you good specimen of so far back as Oct 1878 I
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It?
might be a form of D corymbosa Sm. But I rather think it new
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M did not discuss Angophora woodsiana or Daviesia in subsequent numbers of the Fragmenta .
Yours Obediently
F. M. Bailey
I notice in Eucalyptographia you say that E botryoides Sm does not come into Q-land. I feel confident that the specimens I sent you down are that species and is our largest Eucalypt but I have not [here] now to refer to; I hope I did not send it. It is to
4
the?
tallest and largest Euc of our scrubs.
Bastard Bloodwood
Specimen of flowers &c sent with others Oct 7th 1877
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Letter not found.
Fruit specimens of this I also sent on the 6th of March 1878
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Letter not found.
And now I send the young shoots off a stump of tree showing its rusty pubescence
So far as I can make out this is a poor timber, it is of a light color and somewhat soft It also has the rings of dark gum in its timber like the true Bloodwood E. corymbosa . The persistent bark is also more friable than the true Bloodwood. The tree is not of large size say diameter of trunk from 1 ft to 1½ ft height say 60 to 80 ft As a shade tree it might be useful having a rather dense foliage. I fail to find it in the Flora Australiensis
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Bentham (1863-78).
Can you make it out?
F. M. Bailey