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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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.
Iris germanica L. var. neglecta
Iris germanica neglecta has blue-lilac standards and falls lilac-veined on a white ground. [Grey].
Iris germanica L. var. nepalensis
Iris germanica var. nepalensis has stems 40-50cm long with dark reddish-purple flowers, with the falls much blacker in tone, and white-tipped, yellow beards. In gardens it is often called ‘Purple King’. [RHSD, BIS, Lynch].
Iris graminea L.
Rhizomatous Iris with usually 4 long, slender leaves, longer than the flowers, and a terminal inflorescence of 1-2 flowers, lilac-purple, the falls flushed white, veined with purple. [RHSD, Hortus].
Iris humilis Georgi var. arenaria
Fully-hardy rhizomatous bearded iris with erect, narrow leaves and flower stems with 1-2 scented yellow and orange flowers in spring. To 25cm. The variety arenaria is even smaller than the type and has been used in hybridising dwarf bearded irises. [RHSE, Lynch].
Iris japonica Thunb.
A rhizomatous crested iris with fans of strap-shaped, evergreen, dark green leaves and, in late spring, 3-4 flattened, frilly, white or pale lavender-blue flowers per stem, with purple and orange markings on the falls. To 45cm. Under favourable conditions it can be very invasive in the garden. [RHSE, Hortus].
Iris latifolia Mill.
Fully-hardy, bulbous iris with narrowly lance-shaped leaves and 1 or 2 broad, blue, violet, or occasionally white, flowers, with yellow centres in the falls, in summer. There are many cultivars, blue, violet, purple or white in colour, but never yellow. [RHSE, Hortus, Allen].
Iris lochlevensis [Macarthur]
I have found no reference to this plant. It seems probable that it is of Scottish origin, from the vicinity of Loch Leven in Perthshire. Of the few species of iris recorded from Britain Iris pseud-acorus L., which see, seems the most likely. [Keble Martin].
Iris lutescens Lam.
Very variable, hardy, rhizomatous, dwarf bearded iris with nearly straight leaves and erect, branched stems bearing 1 or 2 violet, yellow, bicoloured or, rarely white flowers with yellow beards, in spring. To 30cm. [RHSE, Hortus].
Iris ochroleuca L.
Borderline fully-hardy, robust, rhizomatous, beardless iris, often evergreen, with branched stems with 3-5 white and yellow flowers in spring. To 90cm. [RHSE, Hortus, Lynch].
Iris persica L.
Fully-hardy, bulbous, dwarf iris with linear leaves and stems with 1-4 silvery-grey to sand-yellow or pale green, scented flowers in late winter and spring. To 10cm. [RHSE, Hortus, Lynch].
Iris pseudacorus L.
Fully-hardy, vigorous, beardless iris with branched stems bearing 4-12 yellow flowers with brown or violet markings. To 1.5m. [RHSE, Hortus]. A useful water-margin plant.
Iris pumila L.
Fully hardy rhizomatous dwarf bearded iris with grey-green leaves, to 15cm long, and very short, unbranched stems bearing usually solitary, scented, blue, purple or yellow flowers, to 5cm across, with yellow or blue beards, in spring. To 15cm. There are a very large number of named garden forms. [RHSE, Hortus].
Iris sambucina L.
This is a confused plant and probably a form of Iris lurida [Soland.] which see. Iris lurida is thought to be a hybrid, correctly called Iris x lurida Ait. Sambucina has flower stems to 60cm, usually branched, with violet-brown standards, often tinged yellow, and red or violet-brown falls, strongly veined, with orange or yellow beards. [RHSD].
Iris scotica [Macarthur]
I have found no reference to this plant. Like Iris lochlevensis, it seems probable that it is of Scottish origin and, of the few species of iris recorded from Britain Iris pseud-acorus L., which see, seems the most likely. [Keble Martin].
