The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: G.H.G., Toongabbie. — The grass you sent is Hemarthria Compressa; is indigenous to South Asia, South Africa, and extra tropical Australia. It is a perennial, and, although somewhat harsh is recommenda...

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87.04.00a

Plant names

Hemarthria Compressa
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- Australian Plant Name Index
Llnum suaedifolium
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- Australian Plant Name Index
Notelaea longifolia
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- Australian Plant Name Index
Tragopogon porrifolius
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to the Weekly Times, 1887-04 [87.04.00a]. 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/1880-9/1887/87-04-00a-final.odt>, accessed June 5, 2026

Letter not found. The text given here is from Weekly times, Farmers gazette supplement, 9 April 1887, p. 1. It is introduced by

Specimens of Grasses, Shrubs Etc — During the past week several specimens of grasses, shrubs, etc., have been sent to this office by correspondents, who are anxious to ascertain the names, habits, etc., of their specimens. We submitted the whole of the specimens to Baron Von Mueller, who has classified them as follows:—.

G.H.G., Toongabbie. — The grass you sent is ; is indigenous to South Asia, South Africa, and extra tropical Australia. It is a perennial, and, although somewhat harsh is recommendable for most pastures, and will maintain a beautiful greenness throughout the year. It is highly esteemed by graziers in Gippsland, and is not injured by the frost.

J.H., KIngower.— The herb you send is , or the Salsify. It is a biennial, and comes from Middle and Southern Europe and Middle Asia. The root of this herb is well known as a useful culinary vegetable.

B.B., Bruthen —The name of your specimen is , the spurious native olive tree.

W. H., Gobarup — The dwarf plant sent by you is a small kind of native flax ( ), at least, so far as can be judged from specimens without flowers. Baron Mueller considers it very strange that poisonous properties should be attributed to this plant, although some kinds of wild flax in other parts of the globe are known to possess aperient properties. The Baron recommends that further local inquiries should be made, ands more specimens forwarded; also, that the drinking water supplied to animals in paddocks where it is considered stock have been poisoned by this plant, should be analysed. If, however, it is really proven that the plant is poisonous, or that poisonous plants are growing in the locality, the ground should be broken up and sown with hardy perennial pasture grasses and other fodder herbs, so as to subdue the poison weeds.