From Ferdinand von Mueller to the Royal Horticultural Society   [Sep 1896]

In 1892 I described the 'Beatrice Palm,' then discovered by Mr. Eugène Fitzalan on Mount Elliott, in N.E. Queensland (Ptychosperma Beatricae). It is allied to P. Alexandrae, but is remarkable for the wide enlargement towards the base of the stem, with step-like processes. It differs also in the much less hardness of the stem, and in the leaves being almost straight to the summit, besides in having smaller fruits and other minor characteristics.

Ptychosperma Alexandrae

Ptychosperma Beatricae

Letter not found. The text given here is from a report of the meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society Scientific Committee held on 27 October 1896 (Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society of London, n.s, vol. 20 [1895-6], p. clxxix). It is dated to September 1896 as the latest likely date for it to have been written to be reported at that meeting. The item is introduced by 'New Palm. — [Dr. Masters] also showed a photograph of a Palm new to cultivation, received from the late Baron von Muller, who wrote as follows:—'.

The volume also includes a list of donors of 'Plants, seeds &c to the Society's Gardens at Chiswick during the year 1896': M is listed as donating flower seeds (p. ccxxiv).

Please cite as “FVM-96-09-00f,” 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/96-09-00f