From James Roberts to Ferdinand von Mueller   28 July 1884

York Nursery Kew¹

July 28th /84

Dear Baron

Your note to hand² and I regret much I have not another flower left a forthnight ago when I called at your residence, and you not at home³ I had a splendid flower with me, as large again as the one I now sent you of No 2 which you think a Phaius the flowers do not last long the sepals & petals drop off in a few days after opening, but that might be on a/c of being in my warm house and at the time of blooming I had no other place as I was altering my other house — I have sent you the flower stem with fruit which it seem freely to produce Each flower having had a seed pod but which I had taken off the spike produced 6 flowers, but strange Enough Each flower was turned upside down when opened the petals are about ½ in long Brownish yellow and 3 or more lines of sort of brown paralel from point of petal to base or Labellum sepals also the lip is fringed & rather pretty when first open whitish with pink about the fringe it appears peculiar for a Phaius blooming as it does from a pointed stalk about 3 Joints up from an abnormal leaf or Enlarged bract the next being a fairly shaped leaf. All Phaius I know the fl⁴ stalk springs from the bottom of the stock root between the outside leaves, when Mr Layard picked it up he marked it as being new to him not having seen it before nor was there any more where he got it — I have another plant and I see some appearance of a spike in the Axil of the big bract clasping round the Stem I hope it will bloom and I will forward you the flowers — I enclose also a Bloom of P. Grandifolius to compare with the other which is quiet distinct as to Color in flower and very much so in foliage in fact it is a more Elegant plant on a/c of the longer & narrower leaves and light green transparency the flower I sent you was I think too old to judge by as far as Color was concerned the labellum of No 1⁵ when opened fresh is from the base 3 parts up a beautiful creamy white & round about the mouth where it is fringed is a delicate rosy pink in Grandifolius the labellum is a dirty Color from base to the 3rd way up and the lip is a dark purplish red than mine this is no doubt a true Phaius — but I some how doubt the other — should it be so, amongst the many I Know and Seen I never saw a Phaius with a fruited stem and above all to flower as it were a branch from the knotted Joint I am sorry that I did not send you it before — I am under the impression when I go down there I shall get a lot of things not described yet if I can get my Outdoor work done by latter End of sept I shall make a start, but if an opportunity offers for N Guinea I shall take that first the Gentleman who brought me the few Orchids that you Kindly recommended to me tells me there are beautiful things there I intend to se⁶ Mr Symes very shortly to see what they are going to do again⁷ — Mr Stewart said he was Going a trip on a missionary Ship instead of Syme's Expedition⁸ to many of the Islands round about in Torres Straits & Elsewhere I am to see him again before he goes — hoping you are improving in health

I remain Yours faithfully

James Roberts

Phaius Grandifolius