7th March 1881
My dear Baron
I have sent to you per Steamer "Macedon" a small box containing the male cone of Macrozamiae Miquelianae,1 & I enclose an order to Mr Carne in the New South Wales Court at the Exhibition2 to deliver to your messenger the female cone of this plant which he preserved by wiring for me. When you have quite done with these cones I shall be glad if you will be so good as to send them to me. In all my plants of this species young or old there does not appear to be the slightest sign of wool like hairs at the base — it is I think free from anything like this in all its stages of growth. I have a strong suspicion that this plant has never been described, or if so the description is of no value. Its very rigid form suggests the specific term rigida.3 In the box I have placed the male & female cones of another imperfectly described species which we have under the name of Cylindracea.4 It is found in the northern parts of this colony, and in many places in Queensland — even north of Rockhampton. In my opinion it is very distinct from any species described. Its small cones and its slender graceful habit are its principal characteristics. In these respects it approaches to Paulo Guilemi,5 but is very different. There is yet another and well defined form which well deserves to be recognised as a species, but of which unfortunately I have no cones of any kind I refer to that found by Hill and provisionally named Hopeii and which has an affinity to Perowskiana6 or Denisonii but from which it is most distinct. This plant — Hopeii — can at once be known from all others by its furrowed stem its comparatively broad short and somewhat oblique pinnae, and rigid character.7 In a word the Genus as represented in Australia is greatly in want of a thorough revision and no man is so well able to do this as yourself.
The enclosed was sent to me from the Hunter district,8 I do not know it pray kindly inform me its name.
Faithfully yours
Charles Moore
P.S The "Macedon" will not be in Melbourne before Friday9
Baron Von Mueller K.C.M.G.
&c &c &c &c
Macrozamia Cylindracea
Macrozamia Denisonii
Macrozamia Hopeii
Macrozamia Paulo Guilemi
Macrozamia Perowskiana
Macrozamiae Miquelianae
Please cite as “FVM-81-03-07,” 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/81-03-07