From Frederick Bailey   15 March 1880

Bradley St Brisbane

March 15th 1880

Dear Baron Mueller

The following is the "Contents" of the work I hope to publish on the Ferns of Australia.¹

Introduction

Remarks on Collecting and Cultivating

Queensland species grouped

Thus —	I.	Climbing Ferns	II	Creekside Ferns
	III.	Epiphytal Ferns	IV.	Forest Ferns
	V.	Rock Ferns	VI	Scrub Ferns
	VII	Swamp Ferns	VIII	Tree Ferns

Australian Ferns systematically arranged

A short glossary

List of Authorities

Index

I have tried to make this part in itself valuable by giving the synonyms by which the plant has been spoken of in any work on Australian plants. The local name or derivation of same is also attached to each

I have embodied all the new species in a paper — read some weeks back at the N S Wales Linn. S.² a copy of which I hope to send you but for the present send you a list of those (n Sp) and some other alterations I propose making

Acrostichum neglectum (n.s.) this is the form I gathered at Trinity Bay³ and at first thought a form of A. repandum. Dr Prentice took it for A. virens but I find it quite different to both. I sent you my best specimens at the time, so you have it. The name refers to its having been neglected so long, for Dr Prentice tells me Mr Hill brought it from the north many years back (but Hill never lets me have his specimens even to look at)

Polypodium rigidulum Sw var. Vidgeni this remarkable form connects the normal plant with P. quercifolium but it not having produced soriferous fronds I could not place them together but this I am sure must be done.

P. aspidioides (n.s.) the plant mistaken for L. acuminata TM ⁴

P. aspidioides var. tropica (n. form) the one mistaken for Blume's P. rufescens

P. pallidum. Brack the sp. supposed Asp. tenericaule [Thw] I have placed Asplenium Prenticei next to A. japonicum Th.

All the Doodias I place as forms of D. aspera RBr […]

D. aspera RBr blechnoides

_______ v. heterophylla

_______ v media

_______ v. caudata

Pteris falcata to this I place as form P. rotundifolia & P. falcata nana Hook And consider P. paradoxa ought to be put in also they are all forms of one species I consider

Cheilanthes Sieberi & C. nudiuscula I keep as forms of C. tenuifolia under their respective names

Trichomanes yandinense (n Sp) I found it at Maroochie⁵ this is truly a most lovely species connecting T. vitiense Bak with T. parvulum Poiret but quite different from both —

I cannot allow the Platycerium Hillii figured in Gar. Chron ⁶ some time back the place even of a distinct form of P alcicorne Desv. There is nothing to warrant it being called a species or even a form

Many thanks for your kind notes and also for notes on fungi⁷ I had sent my paper but can still have the fresh species added to one list I am glad of your assistance in this for I wish my fungi paper⁸ to stand as the most valuable of my contributions to Flora of the colony. I am so sorry to hear that your health is not what we all could wish I do wish you could take a trip this way, it might be beneficial to your health and would be a pleasure to your old friend to see you once more by bringing old times to mind it would make me feel quite young again

Believe me ever obediently

Your

FMB

Acrostichum neglectum

Acrostichum repandum

Acrostichum virens

Aspidium tenericaule

Asplenium japonicum

Asplenium Prenticei

Cheilanthes nudiuscula

Cheilanthes Sieberi

Cheilanthes tenuifolia

Doodia aspera var blechnoides

Doodia aspera var caudata

Doodia aspera var heterophylla

Doodia aspera var media

Lastrea acuminata

Platycerium alcicorne

Platycerium Hillii

Polypodium aspidioides

Polypodium aspidioides var. tropica

Polypodium pallidum

Polypodium quercifolium

Polypodium rigidulum var Vidgeni

Polypodium rufescens

Pteris falcata

Pteris falcata var nana

Pteris paradoxa

Pteris rotundifolia

Trichomanes parvulum

Trichomanes vitiense

Trichomanes yandinense