Melbourne bot. Garden,
23/12/65
Sir Charles.
According to your Excellencys friendly permission I beg to send the recently issu[ed]1 illustration of the A[lex]andra-Palm, which your Excellency may [be] pleased to transm[it] to the Home Governme[nt.] I ventured to bestow the august name of the Danish and now English Princess2 on this glorious production of the Flora of Australia, since Palms are designated the princely members of the vegetable world.
In paying a permanent tribut3 of homage to her Royal Highness, I fulfill the dictates of loyalty as a former Danish and now British subject.
The Ptychosperma Alex[an]drae is described in [the] fifth volume of my [Fra]gmenta phytographiae Australiae, which will be issued within the next months.4 The noble palm has hitherto only been found on the banks of the River Fitzroy.
In deep obedience I remain
your Excellency's attached
Ferd. Mueller
His Excell. Governor Sir Charl. Darling, K.C.B.5
Ptychosperma Alexandrae
editorial addition — MS torn. Square brackets following also have this meaning.
Princess Alexandra of Denmark had married Prince Albert, Prince of Wales and heir to the English throne.
tribute?
B65.07.03, included in the bound volume that was not issued until 1867, B67.02.07.
On 25 January 1866, Darling wrote to the Comptroller of the Household of the Prince of Wales, Lieut. General Knollys, Marlborough House, enclosing a copy of M's letter above and adding: 'Although Dr Mueller in his note requests that the drawing may be transmitted to "the Home Government", I am aware that it is intended as a respectful offering to Her Royal Highness' (Unit 2, p. 160, VPRS 1092, PROV).
Please cite as “FVM-65-12-23,” 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