RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION BRANCH,
SYDNEY, 22 Feb 1894
Baron F von Mueller KCMG &c &c
My dear Sir,
Among the unfinished work of the late Mr R D Fitzgerald is the drawing on stone of a Prasophyllum unnamed. I send you a photograph of it under separate cover.1 It is a little more than ½ size. The specimen came from Mt Lofty.2 It would seem a pity to throw away this work which has been carefully done. I am anxious to know whether you recognise it as any species described by you. The labellum seems to be the peculiarity, its sac-like base, fringed or hairy lamina and purple colour.
The name P. Fitzgeraldi has been suggested by Dr Norton, but it may perhaps already have a name.3
I shall be obliged if you can give me any information on the subject at your earliest possible convenience.
Believe me,
Yours very faithfully
H Deane
Prasophyllum fitzgeraldii
Photograph not found.
SA.
The name Prasophyllum fitzgeraldi was published without description by R. Tate, as a MS name due to Deane, among the addenda to Tate (1895), p. 82. Rogers (1909), pp. 216-7, plate XI, figs 1-8, described what was evidently the species for which Deane had coined the name. In doing so he wrote as follows: 'With a view of continuing Fitzgerald's monumental work on "Australian orchids," Mr J. H. Maiden (Sydney) was last year looking through the materials left by its author, when he came across a plate not yet published, containing an illustration, but no description, of P. Fitzgeraldi.' The plate was evidently the one of which Deane sent M a photograph.
MS found with a specimen of Prasophyllum fitzgeraldii (MEL 1526790). MS bears the embossed letterhead and insignia of the 'Government of New South Wales'.
Please cite as “FVM-94-02-22,” 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