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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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.
Brugmansia racemosa [Macarthur]
Probably Juanulloa mexicana (Schldl.) Miers. which see. Both Brugmansia racemosa and B. suaveolens are crossed out in a copy of the 1850 catalogue held in the Camden Park archives, with the notation ‘see Juanulloa p.16’ written at the side [CPA].
Brugmansia sanguinea (Ruiz & Pav.) D.Don
Frost tender, open shrub or tree with ovate, wavy-margined leaves, and tubular, unscented, orange-red flowers with yellow veins, from spring to autumn. To 10m. [RHSE, Hortus].
Brugmansia sanguinea (Ruiz & Pav.) D.Don var. bicolor
See Brugmansia sanguinea (Ruiz & Pav.) D.Don for discussion of the species. Brugmansia bicolor Pers. is generally considered a synonym of Brugmansia sanguinea but this is a somewhat variable species and Macarthur’s plants may have been somewhat different. Bicolor is described in Paxton’s Dictionary as a tender perennial from Peru with dark red flowers, introduced to Britain in 1833. This is presumably identical with the Datura bicolor of Johnsons’ Dictionary. The same origin is given and the flower described as dark red with a two-coloured corolla.
Brugmansia suaveolens (Willd.) Sweet
Frost tender open shrub or tree with elliptic leaves to 20cm long, and single or double, tubular-bell-shaped, night-scented, white, sometimes yellow or pink flowers, to 30cm long, in summer and autumn. The double form is more commonly grown. To 5m. [RHSE, Hortus].
Brunfelsia calycina Benth. var. confertiflora
Frost tender evergreen shrub with erectly spreading branches, oblong leaves and crowded terminal cymes of bluish-violet or lilac flowers. To 60cm. [RHSD, Hortus, Don].
Brunfelsia calycina Benth. var. eximia ( Scheidw. ex Moore & Ayers ) L.H.Bailey & Raffill.
Frost tender evergreen shrub with erectly spreading branches and oblong leaves. The flowers open purple and age to almost white, from spring to summer. To 3m. [RHSE, Hortus].
Brunfelsia calycina Benth. var. pohliana
See Brunfelsia calycina Benth. var. confertiflora. Pohliana does not seem to differ materially from other forms of Brunfelsia calycina.
Brunfelsia hopeana Benth.
Frost tender, slender, spreading shrub with elliptic leaves, to 7.5cm, and usually solitary, bluish-violet or purple flowers with a whitish-yellow tube. To 50cm. [RHSD, Hortus].
Brunfelsia hydrangeaeformis (Pohl.) Benth.
Frost tender shrub with oblong-lance-shaped leaves, to 30cm, and terminal cymes of up to 50, purple flowers, with tubes to 9cm long, in spring. To 2m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Brunfelsia latifolia Benth.
Frost tender bshy shrub with, leathery, glossy, broadly elliptic leaves and usually solitary, lavender or purple flowers, whitish at the mouth and fading to white, in winter and spring. To 3.5m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Brunonia australis R.Br.
Half hardy perennial rock plant with hairy leaves to 4.5cm long in a basal rosette, and blue flowers in terminal, pincushion-like heads, to 2.5cm across. To 25cm. [RHSD, Hortus].
Brunsvigia josephinae (Delile) Ker-Gawl.
Bulbous perennial, leaves about 4-6, oblong, usually absent at flowering, suberect. In autumn scapes to 65cm high bear umbels of 30-40, characteristically boat-shaped, dark red flowers, to 8cm long, yellowish towards the base and with strongly reflexed segments, the leaves appearing after the flowers. To 65cm. [RHSE, Hortus, CECB].
Brunsvigia orientalis (L.) Ait. ex Eck.
The large underground bulb produces a sturdy scape with a large spherical umbel of 20-40 crimson flowers, similar to Brunsvigia josephinae but larger, opening successively in summer. The foliage is often flat on the ground and appears after the flowers. [RHSD, CECB].
Brunsvigia species unidentified
Unidentified Brunsvigia or related species. There are a number of possibilities but the date of 1857 suggests that it was a true Brunsvigia, probably introduced from the Cape in a larger consignment of bulbs. No other species are mentioned in Macarthur’s or Bidwill’s notes.
Brunsvigia striata (Jacq.) Ait.
Bulbous perennial with 4-6 elliptical leaves, pressed to the ground when mature, and a variable spathe to about 35cm, bearing up to 30, widely spreading deep pink to red flowers in an almost circular umbel, appearing before the leaves. [RHSD, CECB].
