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Private hands. 81.11.20

Plant names

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Mary Bate, 1881-11-20. 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/1880-9/1881/81-11-20-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

20/11/81.
Let me express my best thanks, dear Miss Bate, for your sending of a fruit-specimen of your . It enabled me to finish the description of this very interesting and characteristic species, and I have sent the manuscript at once to the Linnean Society of N.S.W., so that the description may be published yet in the volume for 1881.
1
M described bateae in B82.03.04, the paper being read at a meeting of the Linnean Society of NSW on 30 November 1881.
This gave me an opportunity also, to make publicly known the other plants, which you so far south traced. I hope this scientific acknowledgment will encourage you to continue your searches, as doubtless a whole host of rare plants and some new ones remain there yet to be discovered. From the photograms kindly sent by you, it must be a luxuriant vegetation there! As one of the photographic cards contains the picture of the young Lady Botanist and what I suppose to be her respected mother, I beg to send you my poor carte de visite also.
2
The photograph is in the library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.
It is not likely, that the fruit on your will get much larger while ripening. Kindly pick some, when quite ripe, so that this handsome bush may be introduced into European greenhouses also. I should also feel obliged, if you would press & dry there about a dozen branchlets for me, so that I may send this new plant to several correspondents.
With regardful remembrance your
Ferd. von Mueller.
I like to have a leaf & berry of each of your figs.
Pray do not go to any great trouble about the Palm.