15/7/69
The Sarracenias, sent by you, dear Dr Hooker,2 had completely damped off, during the voyage. Nevertheless I am indebted for your good intentions. Seeds of them & of Dionaea would give the main-chance to secure these extraordinarplants for us here.
Are you well supplied with Bowenia spectabilis. I can send plants, so that you may get both sexes. I can also send Alsophila Rebeccae, if you not as yet have it.
Your growth of terrestrial Orchids of Europe seems a great success — I am certain this culture will become fashionable! Has not my sending of the Australian tubers given some additional impulse to it?
I have a large box full of supplemental Monochlamydeae ready to send. In this consignment I will include a [gyps] made of the large goldmass, found this year here, for the British Museum. It is the largest specimen on record!
Have you Musa Banksii in culture. I can send it also.
Should you be on the moors with a conveyance at any time, would you not kindly lift for me a good sod of Eriophosum?3 I have here [some] half morassy & heathy ground in the garden among Melaleuca ericifolia, where I believe such plant & similar moorplants would grow among the natural Junci. It would be interesting for lectures & a reminiscence of Home.
I have a very small collection of geologic specimens, the relic of Leichh. first glorious expedition to Port Essington. These I will send to Sir Rod. Murchison, as they will be of some little interest to the British Museum.
Always your
Ferd von Mueller
My starch & my poison experiments proceed[s]. I think I shall adopt Lenormands method of using Sulphur of Carbon as a destructive & preventive agent in the herbarium.
Please distribute Dr Rudalls translation of Schroeder von der Kolkes posthumous work on the diseases of the [mind]4
Some years ago I sent to Dr Busk two Gorgonias5 from near Port Phillip and here extremely rare. I never received any acknowledgement of their arrival, so perhaps they were lost.
Would you kindly ask the Doctor when you see him at the L.S. whether he ever got them & whether they proved curious.
16/7/69
This morning I met Capt. Kay, R.N, FRS, your voyage-companion in the Erebus & Terror. He sent his salutation. Capt. Smith6 I have not seen for some time, but only yesterday his 2 graceful & remarkably beautiful daughters a[t] [h]is7 Excellency's ball.
Alsophila Rebeccae
Bowenia spectabilis
Dionaea
Juncus
Melaleuca ericifolia
Monochlamydeae
Sarracenia
Please cite as “FVM-69-07-15b,” 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 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/69-07-15b