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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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 ‘Prima Donna’
Presumably a cultivar of Camellia japonica L. The identity of the camellia listed as ‘Prima donna’ in the catalogues is doubtful. The plant usually known and described under this name has somewhat lance-shaped, rounded petals, very full, pink at the base, with white or rose margins and pink veining. It was raised in Italy about 1850 and first described by Verschaffelt in 1851 so is unlikely to be the catalogue plant. [ICR].
Camellia japonica ‘Princeps’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. ‘Vivid red, blotched white, beautiful flower.’ [Trillon, Le Mans Nursery Catalogue, 1845. Quoted in the ICR].
Camellia japonica ‘Proserpine’
A cutlivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 13/50. ‘Dark rich crimson, two outer rows of petals, large and well shaped, the centre quite filled up, small petals, twisted in the manner of the Waratah Camellia, handsome, not very large.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Punctata’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Its flowers are up to 10cm across, a very delicate blush colour, almost white, striped and spotted with pale rose. The outer petals are nearly round and flat, the inner ones irregular, arranged in a loose cluster. [ICR].
Camellia japonica ‘Pyrrha’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 11/50. ‘Crimson, outer petals large and well shaped, inner smaller and crowded. Good flower of its kind.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica L. var. 'Rosa mundi' ‘Rosa Mundi’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L., ‘Rosa Mundi’ has well formed double flowers, to 7cm across, the petals having a white ground spotted and striped with crimson. [ICR].
Camellia japonica ‘Rosa Sinensis’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. ‘The flower resembles ‘Elegans’ in size and arrangement of petals. Colour is a pale purplish red, and it measures up to 10cm across. The outer petals are large, flat and spreading; the inner are small and irregularly formed, coiled inwards and twisted; intermixed with a few imperfect stamens. Outer petals veined a dark red.’ [Chandler and Buckingham, Camellia Britannica, pgs. 13, 19. Quoted in the ICR]. Berlèse vol.I pl.87/1841.
Camellia japonica ‘Rosalind’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 69/52. ‘Pale bright crimson, almost lake, good shape, not very double, several outer rows of petals large, inner smaller. Tolerably good, colour very bright.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Rosaline’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 60/52. ‘Deep pink, very large, not very double, petals large and of thick substance, but not numerous enough, inclined to be striped. Showy but too loose.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Rose coloured’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. No detailed description is extant.
Camellia japonica ‘Rossii’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. ‘Rossii’ is a seedling of ‘Anemoniflora’ with deep red flowers, the petals finely veined. [ICR, FC p.186/1835]. ‘Leaves large, ovate-lanceolate, curled, recurved towards the stock, very dentate, of a full green; bud with green scales; flower double, three inches in diameter, of a fine cherry-red, No.4, sometimes spotted. – Very beautiful.’ [Berlèse Monography p.80/1838].
Camellia japonica ‘Rotundifolia’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L., ‘Rotundifolia’ has single red flowers. [LBC no.1112/1826].
Camellia japonica ‘Rowena’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 21/50. ‘Pink, large flower, three rows of outer petals large, good substance and form, a thick tuft of inner petals standing erect, good flower.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Rubra Plena’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. The double flowers are up to 8cm across and crimson-red in colour, resembling the flowers of a double Hibiscus. [Don, ICR].
Camellia japonica ‘Rubra’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L., ‘Rubra’, imported from China, has single, dark red flowers. [ICR, FC p.186/1835].
