Document information

Physical location:

ML MSS.2278, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney. 75.08.25a

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Edward Ramsay to Ferdinand von Mueller, 1875-08-25 [75.08.25a]. 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/1870-9/1875/75-08-25a-final.odt>, accessed June 9, 2026

Aust Mus. Syd.
Aug 25th 1875
To
Baron Ferd Von Mueller [...]
1
The MS is a letter-press copy and the text here is very smudged; the '&c &c' in the next line indicate that it was a post-nominal abbreviation, probably either ‘F.R.S.’ or ‘C.M.G.'
&c&c
My dear Baron Mueller
By this mail I send you fronds of two kinds of
Cycas

Search for Cycas in

from Rockingham bay
2
Qld.
— they may be only varieties but are nevertheless very distinct in growth —
No 1 is not common but found growing with the other No 2 which is the most common one in that district Both are dwarf growing kinds
No 1 has a distinct brownish down on the young fronds & they are larger the pinnae closer together & of more elegant wavy habit — the base of the frond ( rachis ) is seldom spiny except just at the base of the lowermost pinnae & as you will observe the shape of the rachis from thence to the stem of the plant is somewhat angular —these [ No 1 ] fruits like the No 2 of which I sent you some down in the [sea] post some time ago
the fruit is small and sessile or nearly so in both species? —
3
Marginal drawing inserted against this statement, with text indicating that the length of the fruiting frond (i.e. the distance between the two straight lines in the sketch) is '[6 to 8 inches]'.
No 2 is the common Cardwell variety with closely [tufted] fronds fruit as above
4
An asterisk refers back to the image.
the fronds are always very thorny
5
spiney deleted before thorny.
The cycads growing near Rockhampton — are all tall growing kinds and the fruit hanging down in bunches are large (egg shaped)
yours very truly
E. P. Ramsay
6
See M to E. Ramsay, 29 August 1875.