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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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

Periploca graeca L.

Frost hardy, twining, deciduous climber with glossy ovate leaves, to 10cm long, and long-stalked corymbs of up to 12 star-shaped, unpleasantly scented flowers, to 2.5cm across, greenish-yellow outside, and purplish inside, in summer, followed by slender seed pods, to 12cm long, which release silky-tufted seeds. To 9m. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].

Peristeria elata Lindl.

Epiphytic orchid with 3- to 5-leaved pseudo-bulbs, the leaves plicate, and an erect spike, to 90cm, of up to 40 fragrant white flowers, spotted lilac on the base of the lip. [RHSD, Hortus].

Peristeria pendula Hook.

Epiphytic orchid with pseudo-bulbs to 15cm, leaves to 45cm and pendant 4-6-flowered racemes of fragrant, pale yellow flowers, spotted red and brown. Reportedly shy to flower in cultivation. [RHSD, Hortus].

Pernettya mucronata Gaudich. ex G.Don

Hardy, rigid, suckering, evergreen shrub with ovate leaves and axillary, bell-shaped white flowers, followed by white, pink or purplish berries. To 1m. [RHSD, Hortus].

Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng.

Frost hardy deciduous tree with lance-shaped leaves, to 7.5cm long, and yellow and green flowers followed by dark blue fruits. To 12m. [RHSD, Hortus, Hilliers’].

Petrea arborea H.B. & K.

Sometimes vine-like shrub or small tree with elliptic leaves, to 15cm long, and axillary racemes of blue flowers. To 9m. [RHSD, Hortus].

Petrea volubilis L.

Frost tender, woody-stemmed, semi-evergreen climber with branching, twining stems, elliptic leaves, to 20cm long, and panicles, to 35cm long, of small, salverform, violet flowers with lilac calyx lobes, from late winter to summer. To 12m. [RHSE].

Petrophile diversifolia R.Br.

Small to medium shrub with deeply dissected leaves and terminal clusters of white, woolly flowers. To 3m. [Blackhall & Grieve – How to know Western Australian Wildflowers p.129/1974, florabase.calm.wa.gov.au].

Petunia axillaris (Lam.) Britton, Stern & Pogenb.

Half hardy perennial with white flowers in summer. To 60cm. [RHSE, Hortus].

Petunia violacea Lindl.

Half hardy, short-lived, shrubby, perennial with purple flowers in summer. To 25cm. [RHSE, Hortus].

Petunia x hybrida Hort ex Vilm. var. grandiflora

Probably early Petunia nyctaginiflora x P. violacea hybrids. See Petunia axillaris (Lam.) Britton, Stern & Pogenb. Even the early hybrid garden forms were available in a range of colours from purple through pink and red to pure white. The accompanying figure shows three forms, deep rose pink, pure white and white with a crimson throat. These forms are instantly recognisable to any modern gardener. The varietal name grandiflora refers to the larger flowers of the hybrids and is still in use today.

Phaenocoma prolifera D.Don

Half hardy, bushy, rigid, evergreen shrub with very small, smooth, scale-like leaves, and terminal heads of white, crimson, rose or purple flowers in summer. To 60cm. [RHSD, Rice].

Phaius australis F.Muell.

Frost tender, evergreen, colony-forming ground orchid with crowded pseudobulbs, large, pleated, lance-shaped leaves, to 1.25m, and flower stems to 2m with up to 15 flowers. The flowers are fleshy, reddish-brown internally, whitish outside. [Jones, FNSW].

Phaius maculatus Lindl.

Ground orchid with large, ovate pseudo-bulbs, leaves to 60cm, usually spotted white or yellow, and short spikes bearing numerous bright yellow flowers. [RHSD, Hortus].

Phaius tankervilleae (Banks ex L’Hér.) Blume

Frost-tender, semi-evergreen orchid with ovoid pseudobulbs, large, pleated, lance-shaped leaves, to 1m long, and racemes of nodding, fragrant, red-brown flowers, to 8cm across, with pink to purplish-red lips, in spring. To 1m. [RHSE, FNSW, Pridgeon].

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