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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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.
Anopterus glandulosus Labill.
Half-hardy shrub or small tree with lance-shaped, toothed, leathery leaves and terminal racemes of white, bell-shaped flowers followed by winged seeds. To 3m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Antholyza flava Hort.
I can find no record of a plant named Antholyza flava. The most likely possibility is a form of Chasmanthe aethiopica (L.) N.E.Br., which see, perhaps var. minor, which has a perianth tube red at the top, bright yellow downwards. [Baker Ir., BR f.1159/1829]. That is the plant figured here. Likewise Chasmanthe floribunda (Salisb.) N.E.Br. var. Duckitii, with clear yellow flowers, should be considered.
Anthyllis barba-jovis L.
Frost-hardy, evergreen perennial shrub with pinnate, silvery leaves, with up to 17 leaflets, and dense racemes of pale yellow flowers in summer. To 3m. [RHSD, Hortus, Hilliers’].
Antidesma ghaesembilla Gaertn.
Small tree with a short trunk, curved branches, simple, alternate, oval or oblong leaves, to 8cm, velvety underneath, and axillary flower spikes bearing apetalous flowers. To 8m. [www.mekonginfo.org].
Antirrhinum majus ‘Bicolor’
See Antirrhinum majus L. for a description. Bicolor has scarlet and white flowers probably very similar to the figure given here. [PD].
Antirrhinum majus ‘Purpureum’
See Antirrhinum majus L. for a description, ‘Purpureum’ has purplish-red flowers.
Antirrhinum majus L.
Borderline fully hardy perrenial with spikes of showy ‘snapdragon’ flowers in a wide range of colours in summer and autumn. There are many cultivars which are highly variable in habit and size. Individual cultivars may be from 25cm-2m in height and 15-60cm wide. A. majus can be a long-lived border perennial but is usually grown as a bedding annual as it often succumbs to rust if grown for too long. [RHSE, Hortus].
Antirrhinum majus L. varieties
Probably varieties of Antirrhinum majus L., which see, rather than the Antirrhinum hybridum of Linnaeus, the current name of which is Kickxia spuria (L.) Dumort. The latter is a weedy perennial from Britain.
Aphelandra aurantiaca (Scheidw.) Lindl.
Evergreen shrub with broad ovate leaves, wavy at the margins, and large orange-scarlet flowers. To 90cm. [RHSD, Hortus].
Aphelandra pulcherrima (Jacq.) Kunth
Frost tender, rather straggling, evergreen shrub with attractive glossy, large and drooping oblong leaves and 3-sided spikes of showy scarlet flowers. [RHSD, Hortus].
Aponogeton distachyos L.f.
Frost-hardy aquatic perennial with strap-like, oblong, floating leaves and small, hawthorn-scented white flowers held above the water from winter to autumn. A reliable, mainly winter-flowering plant in my garden. [RHSE, Hortus, FNSW].
Aptenia cordifolia (L.f.) Schwantes
Frost tender, freely branching, succulent perennial with broadly ovate, bright green leaves and solitary red-purple flowers in summer or autumn. To 5cm, spreading. A useful plant as a soil-binder. [RHSE, Hortus].
Aquilegia atropurpurea Willd.
Fully hardy short-lived perennial with purple flowers with greenish purple sepals in spring and early summer. To 30cm. [RHSD, Hortus]. See also Aquilegia vulgaris L.
Aquilegia glandulosa Fisch.
Very attractive species with nodding lilac-blue sepals and white-flushed blue petals. To 30cm. [RHSD, Hortus].
