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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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 cuspidatus Jacq.
Very variable Gladiolus with sword-shaped leaves, to 75cm long, and flower stems to 80cm, bearing typically 9 flowers, to 10cm long, bell-shaped with undulate margins from a long, tapering, greenish white tube, the lobes being cream or pink, sometimes pale mauve, variously marked pink or red at the bottom. [CECB, RHSD, Hortus]. Now recognised as synonymous with Gladiolus undulatus L., which see, the latter being the valid botanical name. They are recorded as separate species in Hortus Camdenensis to both differentiate the plants grown by Macarthur and to emphasise the difference between forms recorded by early botanists. The description given here is of plants that were specifically recorded as Gladiolus cuspidatus.
Gladiolus cuspidatus x alatus
Gladiolus cuspidatus x Gladiolus alatus hybrid. No description is extant.
Gladiolus cuspidatus x blandus
Gladiolus undulatus x Gladiolus carneus hybrid. I have found no description of this plant.
Gladiolus dalenii van Ged. var. albicans roseus
White flowers tinged with rose. ‘A variety of the Natalensis “vigorous growing section” very superb, erect growers, and have very long spikes of showy blossoms.’ [FC p.53/1852]. It was described as blush, crimson-striped in an advertisement for Bass and Brown, Nurserymen. [GC p.67/1854]. Probably a hybrid.
Gladiolus dalenii van Geel
A variable, robust cormous perennial, spreading by underground runners, it bears one-sided spikes of hooded, funnel-shaped red, orange or yellow flowers, sometimes spotted with green or brown, in summer. To 1.5m. [RHSE, Hortus].
Gladiolus dalenii x unspecified
Gladiolus dalenii hybrids, the second parent unspecified. No description is extant.
Gladiolus debilis Ker-Gawl.
Half-hardy cormous perennial with up to 4, narrow, linear leaves, and unbranched flowering stems to 65cm long, with up to 4, small, trumpet-shaped flowers, white or pale pink, with red markings on the lower segments, differing from most of the genus in that all the petals are uniform, spreading open like ixias. [RHSD, Hortus, CECB].
Gladiolus floribundus Jacq.
A free-flowering species with up to 7, sword-shaped leaves, to 40cm long, and flower spikes to 45cm, with usually 3-8 blooms per spike. The large flowers are white or pale pink with a bright pink stripe in each petal, in spring. [RHSD, CECB].
Gladiolus floribundus x alatus
Gladiolus floribundus x Gladiolus alatus hybrid. No description is extant.
Gladiolus gracilis Jacq.
Fully-hardy cormous perennial with up to 4 leaves, typically as long as the stem, and a lax flower spike, to 75cm, bearing up to 5, scented, broadly funnel-shaped, pale bluish-lilac flowers in spring, the lower petals spotted and streaked with black. [RHSD, Hortus, CECB].
Gladiolus hirsutus Jacq.
A variable cormous perennial, the leaves often fairly short, flowers in 3-6-flowered spike, whitish or pink to purple, streaked on the lower lobes with a darker colour. To 50cm. [RHSD, Hortus, CECB].
Gladiolus imbricatus L. var. crispiflorus
The type species, Gladiolus imbricatus is fully-hardy and has loose spikes of 4-12 funnel-shaped, pinkish-red to reddish-purple flowers, produced in late spring. Crispiflorus has smaller segments, crinkled at the margins. To 80cm. [RHSD, Grey].
Gladiolus italicus Mill.
Frost-hardy cormous perennial with narrowly funnel-shaped, purplish-pink to magenta flowers with paler marks on the lips in early summer. To 60cm. [RHSE, Hortus].
Gladiolus italicus Mill. var. caucasicus
See Gladiolus italicus Mill. for a description. This is a variable plant and Macarthur’s caucasicus was probably distinctly different in flower colour or growth habit from the plant he grew as Gladiolus segetum. According to Paxton’s Dictionary its flowers were pink and it only grew to 30cm. The generally accepted name of this plant is now Gladiolus italicus.
