The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: 17/11/85. ¶ ¶ It seems to me advisable also, dear Mr McCrae, to give your germinating Lodoicea-nut the best chance of being reared into a palm, by sending it to one of the botanic Gardens of Queensla...

Document information

Physical location:

MS 12831, McCrae family papers, Boxes 3728-3746, Map case 8/4, Box 2, Part III, La Trobe Australian Manuscripts Collection, State Library of Victoria, Melbourne. 85.11.17

Plant names

Lodoicea
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to George McCrae, 1885-11-17. 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/1880-9/1885/85-11-17-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

MS accompanied by an envelope ‘On Her Majesty’s Service’, addressed in M’s hand to ‘George Gordon McCrae Esqr | Anchorfield | Brook Street | Lower Hawthorn’, dated ‘Government Botanist, Melbourne, 17/11/1885’.

17/11/85.

It seems to me advisable also, dear Mr McCrae, to give your germinating -nut the best chance of being reared into a palm, by sending it to one of the botanic Gardens of Queensland, where it would need not any protection; at least in the northern coast-tracts it would thrive. It is a sea-coast-palm, should therefore do well at Port Denison.

Now Bowen, Qld.

Only after many years it would be seen, whether this nut produced a male or female tree. Naturally the stem forms a large basal [...]like bowl, through which the roots pierce, the bowl being almost indestructible. This palm attains a height of 100 feet and — it is said an age of 100 years; it needs nearly 10 years for the ovary of the flower to ripen into fruit; and as the natural palms of this kind are reckless destroyed to get the fruit, we cannot be too careful with any one nut in a germinating state like yours.

I left, I think , a growing nut in the garden; perhaps you might offer yours to some other institution within this colony, such as the bot. Garden of the University, if there is space in the conservatory; or you might see Mr Lange of the firm of Lange & Thonemann, who keeps a splendid large garden with conservatories.

Still in the botan Gardens of Rockhampton, Port Denison or perhaps even Brisbane the would do well in the open air

With regardful remembrance

your

Ferd. von Mueller.

Of course, I will be happy to send the nut on your behalf to Queensland