Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M63, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 94.01.00a

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Herbert Williamson, 1894-01 [94.01.00a]. 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/1890-6/1894/94-01-00a-final.odt>, accessed June 9, 2026

1
MS is a fragment in M's hand found with H. Williamson to M, 30 December 1893, that appears to be answering Williamson's question in that letter about the plant organs that he had labelled 'B' that he was sending to M. The fragment is dated on this basis to early January 1894. Its location suggests that it may have been a draft, or was not sent.
2
The sheet has been cut off above and below the surviving text. The first line of text begins at the left margin with Williamson's address, 'Hawkesdale', which has however been crossed through while the upper part of the 'H' has been cut off. There may originally have been additional text preceding what we now have.
The minute organs B are the bracts along the rachis of a very young spike. Well developed fruits would be very conspicuous. The weather may have been unfavourable during the principal flowering time, and thus the plant did not produce fruits this season
[…]
3
Below the final line of text there is what appears to be the top of a letter, suggesting that there was originally further text that was then cut off.