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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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 liliaceus Houtt.
A variable cormous perennial which bears only three, very long, narrow leaves to each shoot, with stems of 1-6 brown to russet to pink flowers, with pink, red or purple specks. The flowers change to a blue colour after sunset and back to yellow as the sun rises. Intensely fragrant in the evening. To 70cm. [RHSD, CECB, Hortus]. Rarely cultivated now.
Gladiolus oppositiflorus Herb.
Half-hardy gladiolus with up to 8 leaves to 1m long, forming a fan, and spikes, up to 1.5m, bearing up to 35, sub-erect, funnel-shaped white or pale to deep pink flowers, to 10cm long, with a lilac-mauve keel and veins, borne alternately on the stem, in late summer. [RHSD, Hortus, Grey].
Gladiolus orchidiflorus Andr.
A cormous perennial with up to 8, linear sword-shaped, grass-like leaves, to 40cm, and a longer stem, sometimes branched, bearing a lax spike of up to 12 medium-sized, very fragrant, greenish-grey flowers with dark stripes, in summer. [RHSD, Hortus, CECB].
Gladiolus orientalis Hort.
I have been unable to identify this plant, the name suggesting an Asian species but the range of the genus only stretches to the Middle East. Ixia orientalis L.Bolus was not described until 1929. The only reference I have found to a plant of this name is a modern painting of a bright red gladiolus by Steven W. Dunn.
Gladiolus roseus x alatus
Probably Gladiolus caryophyllaceus var. roseus x Gladiolus alatus hybrid. A hybrid raised at Camden Park for which I have found no description.
Gladiolus roseus x blandus
Probably Gladiolus caryophyllaceus var. roseus x Gladiolus carneus hybrid. I have found no description.
Gladiolus segetalis Hort.
I have found no record of a plant with the name Gladiolus segetalis dated before 1880. This is possibly an error with Gladiolus segetum Ker-Gawl. intended, although the latter is also listed in the catalogues.
Gladiolus species unidentified blue
There are few truly blue-flowered gladioli, although a number have mauvish flowers. Gladiolus gracilis Jacq., which see, was certainly known and grown by Macarthur and others, such as Gladiolus caeruleus Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, have been more recently described.
Gladiolus species unidentified flesh-coloured
Probably a form of Gladiolus carneus Delaroche which see. G. carneus is a variable species and Macarthur referred to a cross between two strains as ‘late flesh-coloured’.
Gladiolus species unidentified late pink
Unidentified species or hybrid, no description other than that it is late flowering and has pink flowers.
Gladiolus species unidentified like hirsutus
Gladiolus hirsutus Jacq., which see, is a very variable species.
Gladiolus species unidentified white
Unidentified species or hybrid, no description other than that it has white flowers.
Gladiolus splendens (Sweet) Herb.
Cormous perennial with sword-shaped leaves and spikes of up to 14 bright red flowers, the lower tepals green. To 110cm. [CECB].
Gladiolus trichonemifolius Ker-Gawl.
A dwarf species with 3, narrowly linear leaves and a lax flower spike bearing up to 4, fairly large, funnel-shaped, white or dull to bright yellow blooms, often tinged with purple, mauve or red on the outside, and with purple or red lines on the lower lobes, in winter and spring. [RHSD, CECB].
Gladiolus tristis L.
Half-hardy cormous perennial with long, very narrow leaves, often twisted at the top, and spikes of up to 20 open funnel-shaped, strongly scented, pale yellow or creamy-white flowers, flushed or dotted mauve, red, brown or purple. Usually found in marshy sites and grows well at pond edges provided it can be kept dry when dormant. To 150cm. [RHSE, Hortus, CECB].
