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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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.
Aquilegia glandulosa Fisch. var. grandiflora
For a description of the species see Aquilegia glandulosa Fisch. Probably similar to the variety major, a larger form with blue and white flowers. [Hortus].
Aquilegia vulgaris L.
Variable plant with flowers occurring in a range of colours in shades of blue and purple and also white. Hybridises readily with other species. To 60cm. [RHSD, Hortus]. See also Aquilegia atropurpurea Willd.
Aralia cachemirica Decne.
Herbaceous perennial with pinnate leaves and long panicles of white flowers. To 4.5m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze
Frost-tender tree with somewhat descending branches, raised at the ends, spreading horizontally in whorls of up to 8, and with globose female cones to 16.5 cm. The lower branches tend to be lost early, the mature trees having tall, bare trunks topped with wide-spreading branches. To 35m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Araucaria araucana (Molina) K. Koch.
Fully-hardy evergreen conical tree with whorled branches, becoming rounded as it loses its lower branches on maturing, with persistent, radially arranged, pointed, leathery leaves, to 5cm long, and ovoid female cones, to 15cm long, which ripen over 2-3 years, and similarly sized, cylindrical male cones. To 25m. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].
Araucaria bidwillii Hook.
Frost-tender evergreen conical tree with whorled branches, becoming rounded as the lower branches are lost on maturing, flattened, spreading, lance-shaped leaves, to 5cm long, spirally arranged when young, to 3cm long, twisted and overlapping when mature, spherical female cones, to 27cm long, and smaller, cylindrical male cones. To 45m. [RHSE, Hortus, Blombery].
Araucaria columnaris (Forst.f.) Hook.
Frost-tender evergreen conical tree with whorled branches when young, becoming narrowly columnar as the lower branches are lost, to be replaced by short shoots on the main trunk. The female cones are ellipsoid, to 15cm long, the male cones smaller and circular. To 50m. [RHSE, Hortus].
Araucaria cunninghamii D.Don
Frost-tender evergreen conical or columnar tree with whorled branches with characteristic tufts of young shoots at the tips and sides, spirally-arranged, needle-like young leaves, crowded, overlapping mature leaves, and ovoid female cones, to 10cm long, with smaller, cylindrical male cones. To 50m. [RHSE, Hortus, FNSW].
Araucaria heterophylla (Salisb.) Franco
Half-hardy, evergreen conical tree with characteristic whorled branches of fan-like foliage, spherical female cones, to 10cm long, and smaller, cylindrical male cones. To 45m. [RHSE, Hortus].
Araucaria species unidentified New Caledonia
No description. This plant is probably identical to Araucaria columnaris (Forst.f.) Hook. which see, listed under the name Araucaria Cookii in the 1857 catalogue. The unidentified species was probably replaced by Araucaria Cookii in the 1857 edition when Macarthur confirmed its identity.
Araujia sericifera Brot.
An unidentified Physianthus or Arauja species, twining or climbing perennials. Physianthus is now generally included with Araujia and Physianthus tricolor may be another Araujia species. Possibly Arauja sericifera Brot. which is described and illustrated here, although it is difficult to see how the specific epithet tricolor applies to this plant.
Arbutus andrachne L.
Spreading, sometimes shrubby tree with smooth, peeling, red-brown bark and white flowers in erect panicles in spring, followed by spherical, warty, orange-red fruit, which ripen in the autumn of the following year. To 6m by 6m. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].
Arbutus canariensis Duham.
Half hardy shrub or small tree with oblong to lance-shaped leaves, to 12cm long, and erect terminal panicles of pale green, often pink-tinted flowers, about 1cm long, in summer, followed by warty, roundish fruit. To 9m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Arbutus unedo L.
Fully-hardy, spreading, sometimes shrubby tree with rough, shredding, red-brown bark and pendant panicles of white or pink flowers in autumn, followed by spherical, warty, red fruit, which ripen in the autumn of the following year. To 8m by 8m. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].
