Document information

Physical location:

ML MSS.562, Letters to E. P. Ramsay 1862-91, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney. 81.10.15

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Edward Ramsay, 1881-10-15. 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/81-10-15>, accessed September 11, 2025

15/10/81.
The palmseeds kindly sent by you, dear Mr Ramsay, came all right yesterday. So far as mere fruits go to teach us, the Betelnut is the true
Areca Catechu

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, which has a wide geographic range in India & the neighbooring Islands.
N. 2. Is a true Areca, so far as fruit is concerned, and I should not wonder if it turned out to be A. pumila, though the nuts are rather larger. You will be aware, that to determine palms, even in reference to their generic position, it needs male & female flowers, (mostly in the same inflorescence). Is it a dwarf palm with slender stems?
N. 3 is probably a Ptychosperma; the structure of the fruit accords with that genus. It has no affinity to Pritchardia, nor do I think it a fan-palm, it being probably a featherpalm. As you like perhaps an interim-name, til flowers are obtained, I am calling it P. Ramsayi; though it is under the circumstances venturesome to bestow any appellations.
1
M did not publish a description of
Ptychosperma Ramsayi

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.
Why do your collectors not procure the inflorescence, which is obtainable at all seasons (as a rule), and which would only require to be wrapped up with a portion of the leaves in strong paper & placed thus anywhere for drying. The collectors should also note the habit, the position of the inflorescence, whether on the stem or between the leaves, & other peculiarities whether one or more stems from one root. Remember that over 1000 well marked species of Palms are now described; and how is any Botanist to form an opinion of a new sort, if he has no complete material?
The Vegetation of the Solomon's Group must be very interesting as the isle may furnish transits from the Papuan to the Polynesian flora. I could contribute to the expenses of the collector, if that be required, by purchasing at a fair price what he brings of dried plants. Dr Binder, the former Mayor of Hamburg is dead; curiously enough his successor Dr Kirchenpauer is also a naturalist, who works independently on Polyzoa.
2
Kirchenpauer (1884) described several polyzoa species derived from Mueller’s transmitted algae, including Sertularella muelleri from the Chatham Islands (p. 139 and figs 7, 7a, and 7b). Kirchenpauer (1872) includes Australian species derived from algae in W. Sonder’s collection, at least some of which would have been sent by M.
Kindly instruct your collectors to secure also nuts, nutstalkes & nutscales and male cones of any Cycas , also portions of leaves. I fancy, that there are many different species passed under one name; at all events we have 3 well-marked species peculiar to Australia, and Dr Beccari was mistaken as he admits now himself in referring my
Cycas Papuana

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of N Guinea to C. Rumphii.
3
Beccari (1877-90), vol. 1, p. 178. Beccari's 'admission' has not been found.
Regardfully your
Ferd. von Mueller
Goldie still owes me £30, but he has not so much spirit of honor to send anything , nor even write to me.
4
See also M to E. Ramsay, 22 July 1880.
If you write to him, kindly give him a touch up!