Ferdinand von Mueller

1

Letter found with a specimen of Acacia h omalophylla (MEL 30261); the AVH entry (accessed 30 March 2024) has a note 'Supplied scientific name "Acacia omalophylla"'.

Hillston

2

NSW.

4th September 1882

Baron

In obedience to your commands I went yesterday in search of the acacia

3

See A. Grant to M, 12 August 1882 (in this edition as 82-08-12a).

and as I anticipated it is now gone out of flower for some time and the seed pods are as you will observe formed. I however continued the search for over nine Miles and got one little flower which I placed the end of the sprig it is on in a different – a contrary direction from the others. It is a pretty plant and some plants much prettier than others I never saw it grow on the North side of Lachlan nor so far as I can recollect south of the Murrumbidgie.

4

Lachlan and Murrumbidgee Rivers, NSW.

Towards the Mountains in the Creeks and Gullies of which the acacia decurrens occurs and the habitat of this plant there is a wide belt in which neither of the plants grow. The decurrens often has a stem of several feet this one seldom has as many inches – generally separating at the surface into many branches The gum in which it is very prolific I think also tastes different. I never observed sheep eat the spray of this plant but I have known them to chew large lumps of Gum; so large as to cause them inconvenience in hot dry weather and water scarce

I also send you a sprig in flower of that acacia we call Yarron.

5

APNI lists a number of species to which 'Yarron' has been applied, including A. homalophylla , as does Morris (1898), p. 523. The Australian national dictionary restricts its use (as 'yarran' or 'yarren') to A. homalophylla .

It is often gregarious and forms Yarron scrubs for 7 feet high. I have known detached trees 30 or more feet high with a Trunk of 5 or 6 feet & about a foot through The wood is fragrant. It does not grow so big as the Boree nor is it like it a good fodder plant. There is another acacia like this nearer the Murrumbidgie the flower of which is much the size and shape of the European Rib-grass – a Plantain – but of a Yellow Colour of course

P.S. I omitted to mention that I think the decurrens would not grow in such dry country as this one frequents; it also seems very rich in Tannin. Pray excuse this scrawl. I will endeavour to procure seeds for you

The Baron von Mueller