Melb. bot Garden
25/10/64.
Dear Sir William.
At the eve of the departure of the English mail I received a fair collection of plants from N. E. Australia, including several ferns new to Australia. I have no leisure to pack them up by this mail, but will do so by the next, at least in fragments, which will suffice for examination. This time I send only a Gymnogramme
I dare say, that within the next months I shall be in possession of all the principle plants of the jungle mountains of this part of the continent, as far as the savages will admit penetrating the ranges. Any ferns I may get in addition I will send at once to you.
As far as a hurried glance on the present collections admits of judging we have several additional genera to record as Australian, for instance Govania, Elaeagnus and a few new ones. I will publish before the end of the year the novelties, to conclude with them the fourth volume of the Fragmenta. What is Asplenium diversifolium, omitted in your spec. filic. It is described in Endl. prodr. flor. Norfolk.2 Maisson-neuve is Durieus name; he is Professor in Bordeaux. In asking for the return of the ferns I thought only such as you at a glance would recognize, indeed there are not many critical specimens in the whole collection. It would be a pity, if by a hurried return of these plants your synopsis3 were to be deprived of so many habitats.
Trusting that you are enjoying uninterrupted health & that you were invigorated by your stay in Norfolk
I remain,
dear Sir William,
your most attached
Ferd Mueller.
Asplenium diversifolium
Elaeagnus
Govania
Please cite as “FVM-64-10-25d,” 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 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/64-10-25d