From Robert Fitzgerald1    6 February 1890

Adraville,

Hunters Hill.2

6th Feb 90

Dear Baron

Thanks in anticipation for the last Census.3 I have made a search for a specimen of Corunastylis to send you but cannot, at present at least, find one. I think I must have sent them all to Mr Britten[.]4 I intend on the cover of the next number to change the name to Anticheirostylis as I find the present name has been given to another genus.5 I do not see how it can be "an abnormal growth"6 seeing that Mr Sheaffe sent me three plants exactly alike. The bifid parts are below the column and must therefore be considered in my opinion petals, though I have put a ? to them on the plate. The column, if so, is without wings or appendages of any kind; But if the bifid parts be deemed to be wings of the column then the flower is without petals. There is one point, for certainty about which, I would much like to get another fresh specimen and that is, whether the stigma is in reality as indicated on the plates by the letter s, or terminal as in Apostasia. Speaking of Mr Britten I would be much obliged if in your next letter you would tell if you are aware of any reason why he has not for some time answered letters of mine. I have thought that possibly he might be dead or left the Museum.7

Yours truly

Robt D Fitzgerald

 

Anticheirostylis

Apostasia

Corunastylis

1
MS annotation by M: 'Answ 10/2/90'. Letter not found.
2
NSW.
3
B89.13.13.
4
editorial addition.
5
Fitzgerald published Anticheirostylis on the back cover of his Australian orchids, vol. 2, part 4, which was issued, according to TL2, in March 1888!
6
See M to H. Ridley, 28 August 1890.
7
Britten had not died, nor had he left the British Museum (Natural History).

Please cite as “FVM-90-02-06,” 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 19 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/90-02-06