Plants in the Hortus
Many of the plants described here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861. A large number of additional plants were identified from correspondence, gardening notebooks and other documents surviving in the archives. The Hortus attempts to describe all the plants grown in the gardens at Camden Park and those grown in horticultural enterprises such as orchards and vineyards and includes plants grown outside the gardens in the park-like environs of the Camden Park estate. The Hortus plants served a wide range of purposes in the 19th century household; as ornament, living fences, fibre, dyestuffs, medicines, food and drink from the garden, orchard and vineyard and many others.
Gladiolus (x covillii x cuspidatus) x blandus
Three way hybrid, (Gladiolus x colvillii x G. cuspidatus) x Gladiolus carneus. Camden Park bred but no description is extant.
Gladiolus alatus L.
Short-lived cormous perennial with linear leaves and up to ten hooded, funnel-shaped, scented, salmon-pink to orange flowers, splotched yellow and lime-green, in late winter and spring. To 25cm. [RHSE, CECB, Hortus].
Gladiolus alatus x roseus
Probably Gladiolus alatus x Gladiolus caryophyllaceus var. roseus hybrid. A hybrid raised at Camden Park for which I have found no description.
Gladiolus angustus L.
A narrow-leaved gladiolus with up to 5 linear leaves, to 75cm long, and a slender, rarely branched flower stem, to 75cm, bearing up to 20 long-tubed, funnel-shaped, dingy-white to cream or pale yellow flowers, sometimes pink tinged, with a heart-shaped carmine-purple blotch on the lower segments. [RHSD, CECB, Hortus, Grey].
Gladiolus angustus L. var. unspecified
For details see Gladiolus angustus L.
Gladiolus blandus x ‘Aurora’
Gladiolus carneus x Gladiolus ‘Aurora’ hybrid. ‘Aurora’ is presumably a named hybrid not elsewhere described. No description is extant.
Gladiolus blandus x (x colvilli x cuspidatus)
A hybrid of G. carneus var. blandus x (G. x colvilli x G. cuspidatus). Not listed in any catalogues. The seeds of many hybrids, including this plant, were sent to Herbert at the same time as the bulbs in 1844. These plants are not detailed in Macarthur’s notebooks or elsewhere. See the individual entries for species gladioli and early hybrids for details of parent plants. [MP A2948-3].
Gladiolus blandus x angustus
Hybrid of Gladiolus carneus x Gladiolus angustus, or a species or hybrid very similar to G. angustus. No description is extant.
Gladiolus blandus x blandus
Gladiolus carneus var. blandus x Gladiolus carneus hybrid. This hybrid was originally identified as ‘late flesh coloured’. Two materially different strains of Gladiolus carneus were presumably used. No description is extant although this plant must have looked very look the figure given here.
Gladiolus blandus x cuspidatus
Gladiolus carneus x Gladiolus undulatus hybrid. No description is extant.
Gladiolus bonaspei Goldblatt & M.P de Vos
Short growing cormous perrenial with short linear leaves and widely flared red flowers in 2- to 7-flowered spikes. To 50cm. [CECB].
Gladiolus cardinalis Curt.
Half-hardy cormous perennial with lance-shaped leaves and arching stems of up to 12 widely funnel-shaped , bright red flowers with a white flash on the lip, in summer. To 90cm. [RHSE, Hortus, CECB].
Gladiolus cardinalis x (x gandavensis) [#1]
Gladiolus cardinalis x Gladiolus x gandavensis hybrid no.1 in Macarthur’s notebook no.4 in an entry dated 1847. ‘Cardinali inflatus x by Gandavensis No.1 (only). Moderately robust scape a little branching, large well shaped flowers, bright deep rose pink or crimson with a little yellow [word indistinct] [word indistinct] purple on lower lobes and purple [word indistinct] – Corolla rather too uniform but a pretty good variety. The first [word indistinct] of the batch handsome.’ [MP A2948-4].
Gladiolus cardinalis x (x gandavensis) [#10]
Gladiolus cardinalis x Gladiolus x gandavensis hybrid no.10 in Macarthur’s notebook no.5 in an entry dated 1847. Slender scape, flowers middling size and shape, colour crimson scarlet, inside flower lobes partly yellow. [MP A2948-5].
Gladiolus cardinalis x (x gandavensis) [#11]
Gladiolus cardinalis x Gladiolus x gandavensis hybrid no.11 in Macarthur’s notebook no.5 in an entry dated 1847. Very small scape, indifferent flower, orange scarlet with yellow throat, small purple blotches on lower lobes. Indifferent variety. [MP A2948-5].
