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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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.

Ixia polystachya L.

Cormous peennial with narrow linear to lance-shaped leaves and spikes of few to many lightly fragrant, white, mauve or blue flowers, often with contrasting centres. To 90cm. [RHSE, CECB].

Ixia polystachya L. var. lutea

For brief description of the type see Ixia polystachya L. Lutea has golden yellow or orange flowers, rarely with a dark mauve centre, and the outer lobes are sometimes red- or purple-tinged outside.

Ixia retusa Salisb.

Ixia retusa is now regarded as a form of Ixia scillaris L. which see. It is separated here under the name retusa to emphasise the varietal differences. According to Johnson’s Dictionary the flowers of retusa are light yellow. [JD].

Ixia scillaris L.

Cormous perennial with up to 7 lance-shaped leaves, sometimes with undulate margins, and a lax spike, to 50cm, bearing up to 25, scented, white, mauve, pink or magenta flowers, usually with a small green mark in the centre, from winter to spring. [RHSD, CECB].