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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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.
Camellia japonica ‘Aspasia’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, 1/50. ‘Light flesh colour, with a few splashes of crimson and pink. Three rows of outer petals, large, thick and well formed; inner petals more rounded and twisted. Moderate size. Very handsome.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia Japonica ‘Atrorubens’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. The flowers of ‘Atrorubens’ are small to medium, the outside petals deep crimson and heavy textured with darker veins, the centre of the flower filled with small, confused petals. [ICR]. ‘A very vigorous shrub; leaves large, ovate-lanceolate, attenuated at the superior extremity, very dentate, of a deep green, coriaceous bud of ordinary size with blackish scales; flower three inches in diameter, full, irregular, of a deep orange red, No.6; exterior petals in three rows, regularly placed, broad, imbricated, recurved and conspicuously displayed; those of the interior smaller, short, elevated, distorted, rumpled and separated from the first, forming a depressed centre; blooms with difficulty.-Superb.’ [Berlèse Monography p.83/1838].
Camellia japonica ‘Beatrice’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 37/51. ‘Delicate deep pink, good size, petals tolerably large and well shaped, quite double, but not perfectly regular to centre, very pretty flower.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Belinda’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. The only reference to ‘Belinda’ cited in the International Camellia Register is to Robert Tyas’ Popular Flowers, p.85 1843, but no description is given.
Camellia japonica ‘Bellona’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred. ‘Scarlet crimson three rows of outer petals of good form and substance, inner smaller and crowded, with a few among them of large size. Handsome round flower.’ William Macarthur, although this entry is signed E.B, the initials suggesting that the description is actually that of Edmund Blake. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Blanda’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. ‘Blanda’ has a long, full, cherry red flower, the outer petals broad, expanded, crenate, sometimes striped white, the centre petals small, united in a fascicle. [ICR]. ‘Flower tolerably large, full, of a cherry-red, No.3; petals of the circumference broad, expanded, crenated at the summit, sometimes striped with white; those of the centre small and united in a fascicle.-Very beautiful.’ [Berlèse Monography p.57/1838].
Camellia japonica ‘Calliope’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 33/51. ‘French white, with a few crimson splashes and stripes moderate size, quite double, something in the manner of Imbricata alba but fuller. Petals of good substance, very pretty.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Calphurnia’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 36/51. ‘Bright crimson, large size, three rows outer petals very large and well shaped, and thick substance, inner small and confused. fine large round flower. Good.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Candidissima’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. The flowers of ‘Candidissima’ are pure white, very double, the petals being regularly arranged, resembling a dahlia. [ICR]. ‘Flower very large, four inches or more in diameter, full, of a very pure white, petals regularly imbricated, and resemble, very much, those of the double white Camellia, and are in number from seventy to seventy-five, broad, a little crenated at the summit, and diminish in width in proportion as they approach towards the centre.-Magnificent.’ [Berlèse Monography p.47/1838]. Berlèse Iconographie vol.I pl.25/1841.
Camellia japonica ‘Carnea’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Fully double flower resembling a full-blown rose, the centre petals being shorter and rounded, sometimes twisted, with dark veins and a white stripe down the centre. [Don, ICR]. ‘Bud obtuse, large, with greenish scales; flower three inches broad, full, flesh-colour approaching a pale yellow as in No.3.-Superb.’ [Berlèse Monography p.83/1838].
Camellia japonica ‘Cassandra’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 9/50. ‘Scarlet crimson, four rows of outer petals, inner petals small and crowded, with a few white amongst kernel. Pretty flower, with a few anthers. Good.’ William Macarthur. A year later an additional note ‘1851 very large size E. B.’, was made presumably by Edmund Blake. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Celia’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 53/52. ‘Bright crimson, much the colour of Marina, smallish size, petals good substance, outer two rows large, inner smaller and crowded, arranged in form of the heart of a cabbage. Tolerably good.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Chandleri’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L., it has a spreading habit with large, semi-double to anemone-form, bright red flowers with an occasional white blotch. [Hilliers’]. ‘Bud large, pointed-oval, with scales part blackish and part yellowish; flower four inches in diameter, rose-form, double, depressed, of a superb deep orange-red, No.8; petals of the circumference mucronated, imbricated, rounded, regularly arranged, crenated, those of the centre smaller, erect, elongate, folded a little in a cornet form, sometimes spotted with white.-Magnificent.’ [Berlèse Monography p.84/1838]. Flowers on an individual tree may vary from all red to all white, with forms in between.
Camellia japonica ‘Circe’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 8/50. ‘Bright scarlet crimson, perfectly regular, petals good form and substance, perfectly imbricated to very centre. Small size, good.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Clara’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 23/50. ‘Said to be like Coccinea and good.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
