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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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 ‘Myrtifolia’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L., ‘Myrtifolia’, the ‘Myrtle-leafed camellia’, has flowers to about 7.5cm across, deep rose when open, becoming paler, the flowers freely produced. It was imported from China by Greville for Kew in 1806. [Don, ICR]. The camellia usually grown as ‘Myrtifolia’ in Australia today is a later cultivar.
Camellia japonica ‘Nivalis’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L., ‘Nivalis’ has formal, double, medium large white flowers. [ICR, FC p.154/1836].
Camellia japonica ‘Nobilissima’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. ‘Leaves two and a half inches wide and three inches and eight lines long, roundish oval, a little acute, much dentated, and of a beautiful green, bud oval, obtuse, scales yellowish; flowers large, three inches in diameter, full white, exterior petals large, numerous and recurved; those of the interior smaller, crowded, rumpled; in appearance like the Pomponia. –Superb.’ [Berlèse Monography p.49/1838].
Camellia japonica ‘Octavia’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 66/52. ‘Large irregular ragged flower, numerous irregular petals, but though very crowded, loose in character. Middling.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Olivia’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 47/52. ‘Pale crimson, very large flower, two outer rows of petals large, inner small, confused and nearly erect. Middling good.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica Paeoniflora Pallida’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L., ‘Peoniflora pallida’ is intermediate in colour between ‘Paeoniflora rubra’ and ‘Pompone’, which see, and is a sport of the latter. The petals are deep blush, veined, the edges almost white. [ICR].
Camellia japonica ‘Pallas’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 49/52. ‘Dark bright crimson, very double with several centres like Juno, quite irregular. Good.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Paulina’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 52/52. ‘Deep coral coloured, with darker veins, very doubled but irregular petals, quite irregular in size, of good substance. Tolerably good.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Peoniflora Rubra’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L., ‘Paeoniflora rubra’ has Paeony-shaped deep red flowers up to 10cm across, with 10-12 large outer petals in 2 rows, and a large number of smaller, irregular petals in the centre. It is another sport of ‘Pompone’. [ICR]. ‘A vigorous shrub, has a tendency to grow tall, and requires to be pruned to give it a handsome form; leaves two inches wide, and two and eleven lines long, a little dentated, oval, acuminated, shining, of rather a deep green; bud large, rounded, scales green, flower four and a half inches in diameter, and sometimes larger, of a vivid rose, No.4, often of a cherry-red, No.2, full; petals flat in the circumference; in the centre large, and in form of a cornet, numerous, narrow, close, forming an elevated centre. –Superb.’ [Berlèse Monography p.68/1838].
Camellia japonica ‘Perdita’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 7/50. ‘Red, very double, incurved like ‘Myrtifolia’. Has not opened properly.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Phrynia’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 46/52. ‘Deep rose or pink, double after the manner of Paeoniflora. Good size. Pretty good.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Picta’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. ‘From the Chinese semidouble [‘Semi-duplex’] by Pompone. -12. v. Picta, or Alceme; very regular in general; with a pink stripe usually on each petal, the white changing after some days to blush, sometimes less regular, with one or two anthers; very beautiful.’ [Herbert, Amaryllidaceae p.368/1837].
Camellia japonica ‘Pompone’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. ‘Pompone’ is a very variable camellia, with several different flower forms coexisting on the same plant. The flowers are up to 10cm across, with 10-12, large outer petals in 2 rows, and smaller inner ones in an erect, irregular mass. The petals are typically white, the bases tinged with rose, and with a small stripe in the centre. Some flowers are quite deep red, or rose, or variegated. [ICR, Hortus].
Camellia japonica ‘Portia’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 35/51. ‘Crimson, two rows of outer petals, large, of thick substance, inner numerous and smaller like Paeoniflora but much darker and more regular.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Pressii’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L., ‘Pressii’ has double flowers, the petals having a clear white ground with pink stripes. [ICR].
