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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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 ‘Speciosa’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. The flowers are crimson marked with white. [ICR]. ‘Flower [of Camellia Speciosa vera] large, beautiful, full, of a deep cherry-red; No.5, petals of the exterior in two or three rows, large, regular, recurved upon the calyx, those of the centre irregular, multiplied, close undulate, rumpled, having a little white spot on the superior part; corolla three inches in diameter. – Superb.’ [Berlèse Monography p.81/1838]. Berlèse also figures ‘Speciosa vera’ in his Iconographie, crimson flowers unmarked with white. It is not unusual for trees bearing red or pink flowers marked with white to also bear flowers entirely of the darker colour. [Berlèse Iconographie vol.1 pl.57/1841].
Camellia japonica ‘Spectabilis’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. ‘Leaves large, often of the colour and form of those of the single red camellia, or those of Variegata plena; buds with greenish scales; flower three inches in diameter, double, rose color, No.4; exterior petals regularly arranged in three rows, broad, sometimes spotted with white; those of the centre swollen, folded upon the ovary, twisted, mixed with some stamens and often striped with white. – Very handsome.’ [Berlèse Monography p.54/1838].
Camellia japonica ‘Splendens’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. ‘Camellia splendens vera. – We possess two varieties of C. Splendens: the first has a single flower, and is not remarkable; the second, whose leaves very much resemble those of C. Magniflora plena has a superb appearance; its flowers very large, full, regular, deep cherry-red, No.5; petals, rounded, imbricated, some of those in the centre contorted, and formed into two separate hearts. – Superb.’ [Berlèse Monography p.81/1838].
Camellia japonica ‘Spofforthiae Carnea’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L., ‘Spofforthiae Carnea’, bred by William Herbert, is very similar to ‘Spofforthiae’ but with larger, pink flowers. [ICR].
Camellia japonica ‘Spofforthiae Simplex’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. ‘Spofforthiae Simplex’ appears to be extinct and no description is extant. Bred by William Herbert it was probably similarly coloured to ‘Spofforthiae’ but with single flowers. [ICR].
Camellia japonica ‘Spofforthiae’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Very large double white flowers with a few pink stripes and occasionally one or two anthers. ‘A vigorous shrub and of an elegant port; leaves oval, horizontal, nerves salient, of a deep green, teeth distant and very acute; buds very large, with greenish scales; flower three inches in diameter, full, of a milk-white with a few red stripes. – Superb.’ [Berlèse Monography p.89/1838].
Camellia japonica ‘Sylvia’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 50/52. ‘Bright lake crimson, small round flower, quite double, but not quite regular to very centre. Good.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Tamora’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 40/51, originally called ‘Ariel’ in the notebooks. ‘Bluish pink or crimson, quite double regular large size petals, good shape and substance, gradually diminishing to centre. Good flower.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Timandra’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 64/52. ‘Dark crimson, thick petals tolerably numerous, large and small intermixed. Tolerably good.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Triangularis’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Originated By M. Floy, New York, USA. ‘Single, very curious.’ [Hogg, Magazine of Horticulture, 4:155, 1838. Quoted in the ICR].
Camellia japonica ‘Valeria’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 55/52. ‘Bright crimson, very double but irregular, one row outer petals flat and thick substance, inner very crowded and generally erect. Middling or tolerably good.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
Camellia japonica ‘Vandesia Carnea’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Full, pale cerise, sometimes soft pink flowers, to 10cm across, the crown being rose-shaped and irregular, the outer petals wide, rounded, irregular and imbricated, the inner ones dense and numerous, forming a tight centre. An English cultivar. [ICR].
Camellia japonica ‘Vandesia Superba’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. An English bred camellia, similar to ‘Althaeflora’, with dark orange-red, double flowers with irregular petals, deeply notched at the apex. [ICR, FC p.154/1836].
Camellia japonica ‘Variegata’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. ‘The flowers are of a fine dark rose red colour, irregularly blotched with white; whilst those which appear in the spring are generally plain red. They are three or four inches in expansion. When the flowers are fully expanded they become recurved. The centre petals are often small, narrow and upright, confusedly arranged, many of them being disposed in tufts, with small parcels of stamina intermixed. Some flowers are particularly handsome and as double as a rose.’ [Don].
Camellia japonica ‘Vesta’
A cultivar of Camellia japonica L. Camden Park bred, seedling 17/50. ‘Scarlet crimson, very like Medea, but more scarlet.’ William Macarthur. [MP A2948-6].
