The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: Surveyor Generals ¶ Office Sydney ¶ 19 Jan 80 ¶ Dear Baron ¶ ¶ I send you a specimen of a plant said to have poisoned a number of sheep at Burke. ¶ If without the flowers you can make out what it is...

Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M9, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 80.01.19

Plant names

Cheranthera
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- Australian Plant Name Index
Isotoma
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Preferred Citation:

Robert Fitzgerald to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1880-01-19. 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/1880-9/1880/80-01-19-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

MS found with a specimen of Phyllanthus sp. (MEL 1595507). MS annotation by M: 'Answ 20/1/80 FvM'. Letter not found.

Surveyor Generals

Office Sydney

19 Jan 80

Dear Baron

I send you a specimen of a plant said to have poisoned a number of sheep at Burke.

i.e. Bourke, NSW.

If without the flowers you can make out what it is I should be obliged for the name and your opinion of it as a poisoner — I also send you a drawing

Drawing not found; M presumably returned it to Fitzgerald as requested.

of this plant I found at Hill End which I have no doubt from the places I found it in is a native. is not to be found in the Flora

' ' is not in Bentham (1863-78), but there is an entry for Cheiranthera, vol. 1, pp. 127-8.

so I could not examine as to your conjecture. The anthers were as shown in every flower and could not have been united unless in the hub which I did not examine, thinking I could readily find it in some genus close to Please return this drawing as it is one of the illustration[s] of my private copy of the flora, the genera of which, (where possible) I have been similarly representing

I remain Dear Baron

Yours truly

Robt D Fitzgerald

Hill End is about sixty miles north west of Bathurst

NSW.