The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: 20/11/95 ¶ ¶ Among the plants, kindly sent by you for the Field Naturalists floral Exhibition, dear Miss Henley, were also specimens of the Swainsona, ¶ of which I send you herewith a specimen back....

Document information

Physical location:

RB MSS M32a, Library, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. 95.11.20

Plant names

Cordyceps Henleyi
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Swainsona
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Maria Henley, 1895-11-20. 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/1890-6/1895/95-11-20-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

20/11/95

Among the plants, kindly sent by you for the Field Naturalists floral Exhibition, dear Miss Henley, were also specimens of the ,

The file contains one of M's museum labels, undated, marked by M: ' Near the Ovens River 1895 Miss Henley'. A further label, likewise undated, is annotated by M: 'Where do you get your excellent dark ink?.

of which I send you herewith a specimen back. It cannot be safely named as species, until the ripe fruit shall have been obtained. As the plant may not be rare near you, I would ask, whether you could send some fruiting specimens and also a lot of separate well ripened seedvessels with seeds, should this be easy for you.

On the afternoon, when I met your worthy parents

See M to J. Henley, 18 October 1895 (in this edition as 95-10-18a).

I had an opportunity of speaking to the young Italian Prince

Luigi, Duke of the Abruzzi (1873-1933), who visited Melbourne in late 1895. His father, Amedeo, second son of King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy and1st Duke of Aosta, was briefly King Amadeo I of Spain, 1870-3, but then abdicated.

and I met his Royal Highness also subsequently in the Governor's palace and an other conversation. His father was when he was born King Amadeus of Spain, and as such he honored me with the Commander-Order of Isabella of Spain.

See Amadeo I, King of Spain, to M, 8 March 1872.

In acknowledgment I named a large Lake in honor of his Majesty.

Lake Amadeus, NT, named at M's request by Ernest Giles.

You will find it on any general map of Australia (Central region)

If you find more of your

Cordyceps Henleyae? Described by Massee (1895), pp. 28-9, from a specimen collected by 'Miss M. Henley' and communicated by 'Sir Ferd. Mueller'.

kindly send the specimens

With regardful remembrance your

Ferd. von Mueller

You may see in your vicinity still other species of Cordyceps growing from dead insects, but they would likely smaller

'be' omitted?

kinds. Indeed other rare fungs may be noticed by you there. If so, kindly secure some specimens of each uncommon sort and dry them before sending, and should the color fade, give a short note on the fresh color with each such species. You will in all instances get full credit for any discoveries of yours.

Do you require any particular seeds from here for your garden?

You may see … garden is on a separate sheet. The reference to Cordyceps suggests it belongs to this letter.