From Ferdinand von Mueller to the Royal Horticultural Society   [Mar 1889]

[Galls on Eucalyptus. — From Baron Sir Ferdinand von Mueller came further specimens of the extra-ordinary horned galls, such as were formerly figured in the Gardeners' Chronicle.1 Mr. McLachlan referred to a paper of Mr. Schrader in the Transactions of the Entomological Society of New South Wales,2 and stated that the galls in question were probably the work of an insect allied to Coccus, and belonging to the Brachyscelidae. The four horns appeared to be out- growths from the margin of the receptacular tube, the overgrowth being the result of the irritation caused by the insect in depositing her eggs.

Baron Von Mueller also sent an extraordinary specimen of Banksia, on which Dr. Masters under-took to report at the next meeting.3

Mr. Dyer alluded to the peculiar polymorphic condition of the leaves in Acacia armata in cultivation at Kew. Dr. Masters stated that such outgrowths were not uncommon in Acacias. He had described and figured some specimens received at various times from Baron Von Mueller.4]

Acacia armata

Banksia

Eucalyptus

The figure accompanied the report of M to the Royal Horticultural Society, September 1880 (in this edition as 80-09-00c).

Schrader (1863).

See 'Malformed banksia', Gardeners' chronicle, 25 May 1889, p. 662.

For example, see figure accompanying the report of M to the Gardeners' chronicle, May 1886 (in this edition as 86-05-00d).

Letter not found. The text given here is from a report of the meeting of the Scientific Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society held on 23 April 1889, Gardeners' chronicle, 4 May 1889, p. 566. The letter is dated to March as the latest likely date that it could have been sent to have been considered at that meeting of the committee.

Please cite as “FVM-89-03-00e,” 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 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/89-03-00e