Ferdinand von Mueller

1

The first part of the letter, a four-page MS covering both sides of a single sheet, was extracted from a specimen folder at MEL many years ago, with no details recorded. There is a copy of the full letter, including a further two pages missing from the MS in Melbourne, in Ramsay's letter-copy book, ML MSS.2278, pp. 186-8, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney.

Dobroyde

June 26 - 1874

To the Baron Von Mueller

Melbourne

My dear Dr Mueller

I trust you will not think I am encroaching too much on your good nature in asking you to name a few palm seeds for me. I have lately returned from a 6 mo trip Botanising &c in the Rockingham Bay district and am about to return to finish an exploring trip from Cardwell to the Endeavour

2

Endeavour River, Qld. Except where otherwise noted, all locations mentoned are in Qld.

The object is to find a road from the Daintree River to the Palmer Goldfields & I am taking a large party with me. I have made considerable collections which will be […]ted to you for the benefit of science, as soon as I have time to get them [down], in the mean time for commercial purposes it is necessary for me to give the names of the Palms I have collected and am offering for sale, and I would deem it a particular favor if you would let me know the names as soon as possible — some of then I know & so I only send those I do not know.

No 1. Ptychsoperma from Rockhampton said to be Pt. alexandrae , the under surface of the young plants are silvery- or glaucus -white, and are very similar to

No 2 which is a very tall thin stemed sp. — under surface silvery , flower stem pendulous always 2 one on each side of trunk at base of fronds as usual, seed bright crimson small & oval

3

MS annotation by M: 'Herbert River'. To this M has added in pencil: 'Edw P. Ramsay'.

No 3. Ptychosperma sp. Sent as Pt. alexandrae from one Hartmann a collector near Toowoomba Queensland,

4

Carl Hartmann.

about 100 miles or more inland from Brisbane

5

MS annotation by M: 'Albm pen ruminat' [Albumen deeply ruminate].

No 4 This is what we know here as Seaforthia elegans — or Ptychosperma cunninghami

6

P. cunninghamii?

is it correctly named — the plant is common in the Illawarra district

7

NSW.

No 5. A most beautiful Fan Palm from Dalrymples Gap —where your Collector Dallichy

8

John Dallachy.

was collecting so long nr. Cardwell

9

MS annotation interlined by M: 'Albumen grosse latere intrusum' [Albumen [penetrated] laterally by a thick intrusion].

Some of the fronds were 6 feet in diameter — seeds round, crimson fronds almost peltate —margins [erregual]

10

irregular?

slightly & bluntly serrate — base of petiole having scattered thorns

11

MS annotation by M: 'Eadem ac illa a cl. Norm Taylor' [These and other things by the most distinguished Norm Taylor]. See M to E. Ramsay, 5 July 1874.

6) I also found a large sp of Callamus

12

Calamus?

with long needle shaped spines at the base of fronds and a small species with

7) short prickles but no long thin spines as in No 7

13

No. 6?

— both these species are quite distinct from the Richmond River

14

NSW.

Callamus , ( australis (?)

I found Kentia Wendlandtiana

15

K. wendlandiana?

and a sp of Corypha, more dwarf but similar to our C. (Livistonia

16

Livistona ?

) australis — both these latter sp are scarce on the Herbert River — But Ptychosperma No 2 is the most common Palm in the district — — 

Should you desire I can send you seeds of all these —

I met with 3 distinct sp of Pandanus 2 Cycas , Bowenia F.v[M].

17

Bowenia was erected not by M but by Joseph Hooker.

and a great many other beautiful

18

The Melbourne MS ends at this point; the remaining text is from Ramsay's letter-copy book.

beautiful

19

Word repeated in going from one page to the next.

plants — For particularly among the Filices and allied groups — Tree ferns Orchids & Cycads , Katakido zamiae ,

20

Catakidozamiae?

Boweniae , I have been collecting largely as objects of merchandize and exchange . I could supply large quantities at very cheap rates — both stems of all sizes and seeds of all kinds I have fine Cycads 10 feet in height brought down last year now growing well in the open air — Last season I introduced from England 200 species of (new) Plants not hitherto offered for sale in the colonies; From Erfurt Prussia 25 varieties, America over 50, North Aust 150, including Palms Cycads and ferns, in addition to your valuable donations from the Bot. Gardens — If there is anything I can [...] do for you during my next tour on N E Coast of […] I trust you will let me know as soon as possible as I may return at any time now — I hope you will not consider me troublesome if I ask you to send me the names of the Palms as soon as convenient, as I have many orders to execute for seeds and cannot send any away untill I have the names

Seeds for Post this day —