The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: May I ask you the following question: Western Australia is poor in ferns, lichens, mosses, and fungi, on account of the dryness of the climate, and those kinds of plants occur but very scantily even i...

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95.08.00b

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to a gentleman in Perth, 1895-08 [95.08.00b]. 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/1890-6/1895/95-08-00b-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

Letter not found. The text given here is from 'West Australian plants: letter from Baron Von Mueller', Daily news (Perth, WA), 27 April 1896, p. 3 (B96.04.08). It is introduced by:

A letter from Baron Ferdinand von Mueller has just been received by a gentleman in Perth, who has asked us to give publicity to the request therein expressed by the celebrated botanist. We are pleased to give a verbatim quotation of the Baron's words:—

M's reference to 'this spring' suggests that his letter was originally written several months earlier, near the commencement of Spring 1895. It is therefore dated here August 1895.

May I ask you the following question: Western Australia is poor in ferns, lichens, mosses, and fungi, on account of the dryness of the climate, and those kinds of plants occur but very scantily even in the Northern territories, notwithstanding the greater humidity there. But this paucity is made up for by the richness of your extra tropic coasts in Algae (seaweeds), though those also are not numerous on your intra-tropic shores. Can you suggest how I might obtain supplies, merely dried crudely and crisply, from various parts of your coast to trace still further their geographical distributation

distribution?

I also want very much during this spring, to obtain minute land plants from any part or region of Western Australia, and freshwater weeds. Perhaps, in the scientific interest of your large colony, some local journal would render my wishes known.

The extract is followed by

We trust that any of our readers who are in a position to assist the great scientist in the simple manner proposed in this letter, will do so. We shall be happy to receive any communications on the subject, and to cause any specimens sent to us to be duly forwarded to Baron Müller.

See also M to 'a gentleman in Perth', August1895 (in this edition as 95-08-00f), which may be part of the same letter.