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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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.
Hibiscus venusta-mutabilis [Macarthur]
Hibiscus venustus Blume x Hibiscus mutabilis L. I have found no description of the plant. Hibiscus venustus, ‘the graceful hibiscus’, appears no where else in the record. Venustus is now considered a form of mutabilis and this hybrid probably bore a strong likeness to this parent.
Hibiscus x sydneyi [Bidwill]
Hibiscus splendens Fras. ex Graham x Hibiscus heterophyllus Vent. Hybrid raised by John Bidwill, presumably in Sydney. I have found no description but this cross was recently repeated at Camden Park. It is yet to flower but the leaves are deep green, deeply lobed and palmate in form, quite dissimilar to the adult leaves of both parents, in particular they are free of the greyish pubescence of the seed parent.
Hindsia violacea Benth.
Tender, downy, evergreen shrub with ovate leaves and clusters of ultra-marine flowers in spring. To 90cm. [RHSD].
Hippeastrum aulicum (Ker-Gawl.) Herb.
Bulbous perennial with strap-like leaves and a stout stem bearing an umbel with usually 2 funnel-shaped, crimson flowers with green throats, in winter or spring, the leaves following the flowers. A variable species. To 50cm. [RHSE, Hortus, Baker Am.].
Hippeastrum breviflorum Herb.
Bulbous perennial, flowers white, tinged greenish outside, with red keels, the usually 2 leaves lance-shaped, to 90cm long. [Baker Am., RHSD].
Hippeastrum coronata unidentified
Unidentified Hippeastrum or related species. Neither Amaryllis nor Hippeastrum coronata are listed by Herbert or Baker. Probably a nursery variety of the day that has now disappeared.
Hippeastrum psittacinum (Ker-Gawl.) Herb.
A bulbous perennial with up to 8 strap-shaped leaves, to 45cm long, appearing with the flowers, and a stout stem, to 60cm, bears up to 4 trumpet-shaped flowers, with short greenish white tubes and spreading lobes, striped crimson, to 13cm across, with a green keel and wavy crimson margins. To 60cm. [RHSD, Baker Am.].
Hippeastrum pulverelento-vittatum
A hybrid between Hippeastrum striatum (Lam.) H.E.Moore x Hippeastrum vittatum (L’Hérit.) Herb. No description is extant.
Hippeastrum puniceum (Lam.) Voss
A variable bulbous perennial with many naturally occurring varieties. 2-4 flowered umbels bear bright green flowers, red at the base, followed by 6-8 strap-shaped leaves, to 45cm long. The flower colour of varieties can range from orange to scarlet with white, yellow or green markings. Hybridises freely. [Baker Am., RHSD, Hortus].
Hippeastrum reginae (L.) Herb.
Variable spring or summer flowering bulbous perennial with strap-shaped leaves and up to 4 funnel-shaped, drooping, bright red flowers with a large green-white stain in the throat, the lobes to 13cm across, on a stem to 50cm long. The leaves emerge after the flowers. To 50cm. [RHSE, Hortus, Baker Am.].
Hippeastrum species dark crimson
Unidentified Hippeastrum or related species, dark crimson in colour.
Hippeastrum species pale orange
Unidentified Hippeastrum or related species, pale orange in colour. This may be Hippeastrum striatum (Lam.) H.E.Moore, which see. This still grows in the gardens.
Hippeastrum species yellowish brown
Unidentified Hippeastrum or related species, flowers yellowish brown in colour.
Hippeastrum splendido-pulverelentum
Hippeastrum x splendens Herb. x Hippeastrum striatum (Lam.) H.E.Moore hybrid. No description of Macarthur’s plant is extant.
Hippeastrum splendido-vittatum
A Hippeastrum x splendens Herb. x Hippeastrum vittatum (L’Hér.) Herb. hybrid. No description of Macarthur’s plant is extant.
