The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: 28/8/90 ¶ ¶ Am delighted, dear Mr Ridley, that you will spare some of your bot. treasures for my institution here. I shall have to work for many months hereafter on specimens from New Guinea, and the...

Document information

Physical location:

RBG Kew, Archives, Miscellaneous correspondence. 90.08.28a

Plant names

Apostasiaceae
Search for Apostasiaceae in
- This website
- Australian Plant Name Index
Cypripedilon
Search for Cypripedilon in
- This website
- Australian Plant Name Index
Orchideae
Search for Orchideae in
- This website
- Australian Plant Name Index
Prasophyllum
Search for Prasophyllum in
- This website
- Australian Plant Name Index

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Henry Ridley, 1890-08-28 [90.08.28a]. 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/1890-6/1890/90-08-28a-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

28/8/90

Am delighted, dear Mr Ridley, that you will spare some of your bot. treasures for my institution here. I shall have to work for many months hereafter on specimens from New Guinea, and then will successively lay spare-samples aside for you.

As you will be aware, Continental Australia even in its humid tropic regions is remarkably poor in epiphytal ; but you shall have specimens as far as I can part with them. It may however be some time, before I can attend to this. As President (for 1890) of the Australian Assoc. for Advancement of Science I shall soon have to go to the New Zealand meeting, to instal Sir James Hector.

Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, 3rd congress, Christchurch, January 1891.

Mr Fitzgerald

i.e. Robert Fitzgerald.

stands alone among Botanists in never communicating bot. specimens to anyone! We all are to depend solely for all times on his figures; exquisite doubtless they are. Thus I have not been able from examination of any specimens to ascertain, what his supposed apostasioid Orchid is. From the illustrative plate, given by him, I regard it a of monstrous growth.

M is referring to Corunastylis apostasioides, depicted in Fitzgerald (1875–1894), vol. 2, part 3, plate 1; see R. Fitzgerald to M, 6 February 1890.

I asked for a specimen of this at least, but none is forthcoming.

Letter not found.

You will be aware from my Second Census (1889), that I distinguish as an order. They have no real affinity to or other

M recognised the order in B89.12.03, p. 192.