Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M1, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 89.03.14a

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Donald Petrie to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1889-03-14 [89.03.14a]. 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/1880-9/1889/89-03-14a-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

1
MS found with a specimen of buchananii (MEL 2352095). Annotated by M: 'Answ 22/3/89'. Letter not found.
Education Office,
Dunedin 14th. March 1889.
My Dear Sir Ferdinand,
I send you on a few specimens of an that has long puzzled me very much. Will you kindly let me know as soon as you can if it is known to you, and also say what you think about the I sent a few weeks ago. The if native is of course quite new to New Zealand. It grows plentifully in the dry and bare parts of the plains in the interior of Otago. As it is spreading I have suspicions that it may be introduced, but it was a common plant even twenty years ago in the places where it now grows It is only the other day that I observed the female flowers though I have known the plant for years, and supposed it to be , Hook. f. This was the reason why I never examined it more carefully before. Pray do me the favour of giving your opinions about these two plants. Could you spare me a copy of your recent work on the plants of Victoria?
2
B88.11.02?
With best wishes
Believe me to be,
Yours very sincerely
D. Petrie.
Sir F. Von Mueller,
Melbourne.