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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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.
Hoya australis R.Br. ex J.Traill
Frost tender, vigorous, twining, succulent climber with broadly elliptic, fleshy leaves, densely hairy beneath, and umbels, to 6cm across, of 12-40, star-shaped, fragrant white flowers, to 4cm across, with a red spot at the base of each petal and red coronas. To 10m. [RHSE, FNSW, Blomberry].
Hoya bella Hook.
Frost tender spreading to pendant, epiphytic shrub with arching, downy, soft stems, narrowly ovate, fleshy leaves, to 3cm long, and umbels, to 4cm across, of 7-9, star-shaped, sweetly scented white flowers, to 1.5cm across, with red-violet coronas, in summer. To 45cm by 45cm. [RHSE].
Hoya carnosa (L.f.) R.Br.
Frost tender, vigorous, stem-rooting, succulent, often epiphytic climber, with rigid, fleshy leaves, to 8cm long, and dense, convex umbels, to 6cm across, of up to 20 star-shaped, waxy, night-scented, pale pink flowers, to 1.5cm across, with red coronas, from spring to autumn. To 6m or more. [RHSE, Hortus].
Hoya imperialis Lindl.
Frost tender, twining climber with downy stems and elliptic, leathery, fleshy leaves, to 23cm long, and umbels of up to 12 star-shaped, reddish brown to purple flowers, to 7cm across, with white coronas, in summer. To 6m or more. [RHSE].
Hoya species unidentified [1]
Possibly an unidentified Australian species, perhaps one of several forms of Hoya australis R.Br. ex J.Traill, which see. The date of accession is suggestive of an Australian species sent from Wide Bay by John Bidwill.
Hoya species unidentified [2]
Possibly an unidentified Australian species, perhaps one of several forms of Hoya australis R.Br. ex J.Traill, which see. The date of accession is suggestive of an Australian species sent from Wide Bay by John Bidwill.
Hyacinthoides non-scripta (L.) Chouard
Fully-hardy vigorous, clump-forming, bulbous perennial with spreading, lance-shaped leaves and one-sided racemes, bent over at the top, of 6-12 pendant, narrowly bell-shaped, scented, mid-blue, occasionally pink or white, flowers. To 40cm. [RHSE, Hortus].
Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser.
Fully hardy, rounded, deciduous shrub with broadly ovate, coarsely toothed leaves, to 20cm long, and almost spherical corymbs, to 20cm across, of large blue or pink, sterile flowers. To 2m or more under suitable conditions. Decorative garden Hydrangeas are mainly varieties of the Japanese H. macrophylla, pink to blue, all sterile. H macrophylla cultivars are divided into two groups, Hortensias and Lacecaps. [RHSE, Hilliers’].
Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser. subsp. serrata (Thunb.) Makino
Fully hardy, compact, erect, deciduous shrub with narrow, ovate, pointed leaves, to 15cm long, and flattened corymbs, to 10cm across, composed of numerous white, sterile flowers around the outside, with small pink or blue, fertile flowers in the centre, from summer to autumn. To 1.2m or more under suitable conditions. [RHSE, Hilliers’, Hortus].
Hylocereus lemairei (Hook.) Britt. & Rose
Frost tender, erect, rooting cactus with a branched, triangular, jointed stem, to 3cm in diameter, and yellow prickles, and white flowers tinged pink near the base. [RHSD, Don].
Hylocereus triangularis (L.) Britt. & Rose
Frost tender, climbing cactus with jointed, triangular stems and, in summer, fragrant white flowers. To 4m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Hymenaea courbaril L.
Frost tender, evergreen tree with pointed, oblong-ovate leaves and large yellow, purple-striped flowers. To 20m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Hymenocallis caribaea (L.) Herb.
An evergreen bulbous perennial with 12 or more, semi-erect, strap-shaped basal leaves, up to 90cm long, and umbels of up to 12 fragrant white flowers, to 15cm across, in spring. To 60cm. [RHSE, Botanica, Baker Am.].
Hymenocallis glauca (Herb.) Bak.
The identity of this plant remains in doubt. Baker considers Hymenocallis glauca (Zucc.) M.Roem. to be synonymous with Choretis glauca Herb., although he gives the naming authors as Knowles & Westcott [Baker Am. p.123/1888]. The Plant List, on the other hand regards them as true and separate species. They are regarded as synonymous here.
Frost-tender bulbous perennial with elliptic basal leaves, to 45cm long and 10cm broad, and flower stems, to 35cm, bearing umbels of up to 3 fragrant white flowers, to 15cm across, in spring. [RHSD, Baker Am.].
Hymenocallis littoralis (Jacq.) Salisb.
Very variable evergreen bulbous perennial with 10-12 basal leaves, up to 1.2m long, and stems to 60cm, bearing umbels of up to 11 fragrant white, green tinged flowers in spring. [RHSD, Hortus, Baker Am.].
