Ɛpsilon

WCP3864

Letter (WCP3864.3783)

[1]1,2

Old Orchard,

Broadstone,

Wimborne.

April 12th, 1912

The Director3 Roy. Bot. Gardens, Kew,

Dear Sir

I have a plant of Doryanthes Palmeri in my greenhouse border (in light loam) which has over 50 leaves, 5 to 76 feet long and 5 inches wide, apparently in perfect health. It was raised from seed sown in Aug 1904 (received from the Melbourne Bot. Garden in Aug. 1904) therefore 8 years old.

[2] Can you kindly inform me when it is likely to flower, or if any thing can be done to make it do so. It has a south aspect, and has been kept rather dry in winter. Would manure (liquid) or root pruning be useful.

Bailey's4 Flora of Queensland5 gives "Cunningham's Gap", Mount Mistake in the Main Range, as being one of the localities for it. I have no map showing this,6 [3] and should like to know the height above sea-level, if you can tell me.

Can you also inform me if Sophora vicifolia is likely to be hardy here. Mr. Stewart,7 a nurseryman at Ferndown near Bournemouth, offers it, & says it has violet-blue flowers which a photo. he gives shows as appearing with the leaves, which is a good quality.

Yours very truly | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

1
Round stamp of "ROYAL GARDENS – KEW 15 APR. 1912.”
2
In Prain’s handwriting, “Ansd 15.IV.12”
3
Prain, David (1857-1944). Scottish botanist who worked in India at the Calcutta Botanical Garden. Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 1905-1922.
4
Bailey, Frederick Manson (1827-1915). Australian colonial botanist.
5
Bailey, Frederick Manson. 1912. Contributions to the flora of Queensland. Brisbane: Govt. Printer.
6
In left margin in Prain’s handwriting, “Promised plant 15.IV.12 Plant sent 16.IV.12 D.P.”.
7
Stewart has not been identified.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP3864.3783)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by Shapland, Lesley [2014-04-29] Transcription checked by Benny, Ruth [2014-04-29] Transcription checked by Sherwood, Danni [2020-08-10] Transcription checked by Chua, Christine [2026-04-18]

Please cite as “WCP3864,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP3864