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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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.
Arbutus unedo L. var. photinifolia
Probably a foliar form of Arbutus unedo L., of which 8 varieties are listed in various editions of Paxton's Dictionary and 4 in Johnson's Dictionary. I have found no description of this plant.
Arbutus unedo L. var. serratifolia
See Arbutus unedo L. for more detail on the species. Serratifolia has serrated leaves.
Archontophoenix alexandrae F.Muell.
A small palm with a slender, columnar trunk, ringed with old leaf scars, pinnate, short-stalked leaves, to 2.5m long, composed of many linear leaflets, and nodding panicles, to 60cm long, of fragrant, greenish-white flowers in summer, followed by ovoid, bright red fruit, to 2cm across. To 12m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana H.Wendl. & Drude
A slender-stemmed palm with a ringed trunk and arching pinnate leaves, to 4m long, and pendant racemes of small lilac flowers followed by ovoid red fruit. To 20m. [RHSE, Hortus, Beadle]. ‘The palm commonly planted as Seaforthia elegans (in the USA) is Archontophoenix cunninghamiana.’ [Hortus Second].
Ardisia colorata Roxb.
‘A. colorata. R. Shrubby. Leaves linear-lanceolar, entire, smooth ; veins nearly diverging. Panicles terminal, (large and highly coloured,) composed of a few, decompound, expanding branches. Umur-kulli,the vernacular name at Silhet, where the shrub is indigenous, and one of the most desirable species of the genus I have yet met with. It is in flower and seed the greatest part of the year. Trunk erect, with numerous, smooth, expanding branches and branchlets ; general height, in its native soil, about twelve feet. Leaves alternate, short-petioled, linear-lanceolar, entire, acute, veins parallel, and nearly diverging from the rib, about six or seven inches long, and about two broad. Floral leaves minute. Panicles terminal, solitary, very large; composed of several large, compound and decompound branches; all of which with their sub-divisions are smooth, and of a pretty deep, bright red colour. Bractes lanceolate. Calyx, corol, &c. as in the family. Berries somewhat oblate, smooth, succulent, red, size of a pea. Seed solitary, of a deep yellow in the base. Perisperm conform to the seed, very hard, some small rust-coloured specks on the surface, which in some places penetrate a little. Embryo transverse, serpentine, &c. as in Gaertner’s Anguillaria, i. 372. t.77.’ [Roxburgh FI vol.1 p520/1832].
Ardisia crenata Sims
Half hardy erect shrub with spiralled or alternate lance-shaped leaves, with scalloped margins, and terminal umbel-like corymbs of star-shaped pink flowers in summer, followed by ornamental, spherical red berries. To 1.5m. [RHSE]. Don describes Ardisia crenulata Vent. as having reddish-violet flowers followed by black berries.
Ardisia paniculata Roxb.
Frost tender, evergreen shrub or small tree with pointed, lance-shaped leaves with parallel veins, and terminal panicles of rosy pink flowers, followed by small red fruit. It is long-flowering and often carries flowers at the same time as fruit. [RHSD, Hortus].
Ardisia solanacea Roxb.
Shrub or small tree with glabrous, usually opposite, lance-shaped leaves and racemes of rosy-pink flowers in the terminal leaf axils. To 6m. [RHSD].
Argyrolobium andrewsianum Steud.
Half-hardy shrub with pure yellow flowers. To 60cm. [Don].
Aristea capitata (L.) Ker-Gawl.
A half-hardy, clump-forming, evergreen perennial with lance-shaped leaves and dense spikes of saucer-shaped blue or purple flowers in summer. To 1.5m. [RHSE, CECB, Hortus].
Aristea minor Hort.
I can find no record of Aristea minor in the botanical literature. It is probably a form of Aristea capitata (L.) Ker-Gawl. which see, possibly a smaller form. The only reference to this name I can find is in a list of plants suitable for landscaping, included in a Zambian web site but with no further information.
Aristolochia macrophylla Lam.
Hardy deciduous climber with heart to kidney-shaped leaves, the flowers tubular, yellowish-green outside and purplish-brown at the mouth, in summer. [RHSD, Hortus].
Aristolochia sempervirens L.
Frost tender evergreen climber, occasionally procumbent, with leathery, triangular leaves, to 10cm long, and solitary, funnel-shaped yellow flowers with a purple stripe and strongly curved tube, to 5cm long, in spring. To 5m. [RHSD].
Aronia arbutifolia (L.) Medik.
Deciduous shrub with elliptical leaves, to 8cm long, corymbs of whiotish flowers followed by red fruits hanging from the bush. There are a number of garden varieties. It has brilliant autumn foliage. To 2.5m. [RHSD, Hortus].
