To Edward Ramsay   29 August 1875

Melbourne, 29/8/75

 

It is not possible, dear Mr Ramsay, to discriminate between the various species of Cycas of the C. circinalis section, except when with the leaves likewise the fruits, the fruit rachis, and the male cones are obtained. The one (as dwarf) sent by you may be new.1 I was not aware, that the Rockinghams Bay2 species was always stemless. C. Normanbyana differs from C. angulata Br (C. media Br) in having a stalkless fruit-rachis, which bears only two seeds (one on each side). Perhaps you have local means to place such material before me as will enable me to elucidate this.

Regardfully

Ferd. von Mueller.

 

Cycas angulata

Cycas circinalis

Cycas media

Cycas Normanbyana

1
See E. Ramsay to M, 25 August 1875 (in this edition as 75-08-25a).
2
Qld.

Please cite as “FVM-75-08-29,” 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/75-08-29