Nunawading1 Jan. 4th/72
Dear Sir
I have found some of the tall Palm like tree ferns — in a deep Elivated Gully on the Eastern side of the Dandinong ranges the stems are thin at the thickest 3 inches in diameter near the ground narrowest not much thicker than your wrist the stem resembles that of Caythea2 Excelsa and the Fronds similar they rise one above another alternately not in rings like alsophila — over the Fronds of one which may be a veriety as it was found in an other place was 7 or 8 feet in length and was Erict the other tender and not so long hanging down very graicefull — It was near-night and I had not time to eximen the Locality well But I saw 2 or three one was about 20 feet high and the other Higher — a small one I brought away with me I had to carry it 3 miles on my shoulder I do not think it Alsophila R.3 — or Lechhardiana4 nither is it the same Fern I sent you last
I firmly belive it to be a Caythea. It may be C. medullaria5 However I intend going up again nix week to try and get one or more in fructification they look splindi
Your Respectfully
David Boyle
Baron Von Mueller Esq
Bot Gardens
please write me by Post
Alsophila Lechhardiana
Caythea Excelsa
Caythea medullaria
Please cite as “FVM-72-01-04,” 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