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From Ferdinand von Mueller to Edward Ramsay   5 June 1862

5/6/62.

Dear Sir.

The small specimen of fern, enclosed in your letter1 represents a Doodia, and it is quite possible, that it is only a deformed state of Doodia caudata. I have in our herbarium here lateral shoots of D. caudata on some specimens, which are by no means dissimilar to yours. But it is not safe to form an opinion on such a plant, without obtaining a series of specimens. I have under the circumstances not examined your plant thoroughly & judge at present about it only at a superficial glance. Cystopteris fragilis is to be found on the ranges of the Middle Island of New Zealand2

At any time happy to afford you such information as I may possess & glad to receive any contributions for our State herbarium

I remain, dear Sir

your

Ferd Mueller

Have you no friends any where in the N.S.W. Cedar brushes? I would like much to have all the trees from thence in flower- & fruit-bearing branchlets, as many new species are still to be revealed amongst them.

Cystopteris fragilis

Doodia caudata

1

Letter not found.

2

Known subsequently as the South Island.

3

MS envelope front: 'E. P. Ramsay Esq. | Dobroyde | Ashfield | New South Wales. | Ferd. Mueller.' Envelope stamped Melbourne, 5 June 1862.

Please cite as “FVM-62-06-05,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/62-06-05