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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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.
Citrus sinensis ‘Seedling Orange - Fine’
No doubt a Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck cultivar. For details of the Sweet Orange see Citrus sinensis ‘Chinese Oval’. I have found no specific information on this seedling.
Citrus sinensis ‘Seedling Orange - Good’
A Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck cultivar. For details of the Sweet Orange see Citrus sinensis ‘Chinese Oval’. I have found no specific information on this seedling.
Citrus sinensis ‘Seedling Orange from Marion’
Probably a Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck cultivar. For details of the Sweet Orange see Citrus sinensis ‘Chinese Oval’. I have found no specific information on this Marion seedling.
Citrus sinensis ‘St. Michael’s’
This is a cultivar of Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck. For details of the Sweet Orange see Citrus sinensis ‘Chinese Oval’. ‘St. Michael’s’ orange was still grown in Western Australia at the beginning of the 20th century. ‘Fruit of first-class quality when grown under favourable conditions. Like the Navel, it is less hardy than some other kinds, and requires sheltered situations, when it is very prolific. Fruit, large, round, and somewhat flattened, solid; pulp fine and melting; medium thin rind, few seeds. If circumstances are not congenial it is a shy bearer, and the fruit is apt to lose its high character, the rind getting much thicker in either cold or hot locations.’ [Despeissis p.239/1903].
Citrus x paradisi Macf.
Probably a hybrid of Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck x Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr. A rounded tree, sometimes spiny, with glossy green, oval leaves and large, white flowers followed by large, globose, thin-skinned, juicy, yellow-orange fruit, the pulp white, pink or red. [RHSD, Hortus].
Clarkia amoena A.Nelson & J.F.Macbr. subsp. lindleyi (Dougl.) F.H.&M.E.Lewis
Fully hardy, erect annual with fluted, single or double, lilac to reddish pink flowers, with a dark red spot, in long shoots in summer. To 75cm. Lindleyi is a rather coarse form with lavender flowers, often streaked with white near the base, the dark red central spot often absent or represented by a small spot or line. It can grow to 2m. Once a very popular cottage garden plant. [RHSE, Hortus].
Clarkia romanzovii A.Nelson & J.F.Macbr.
Perennial with lance-shaped leaves and violet-coloured flowers in summer. To 30cm. [RHSD].
Clarkia rubicunda (Lindl.) F.H. & M.E.Lewis
Half hardy, erect to prostrate annual with lance-shaped, sometimes toothed leaves, to 4cm long, and leafy spikes of rosy-pink to lavender flowers with a conspicuous red or red-purple base. To 1.5m. [RHSD].
Clarkia tenella (Cav.) F.H. & M.E.Lewis
Frost tender, erect, sometimes decumbent, perennial with branched stems, elliptical leaves to 6cm, and lavender to blue or deep red-purple flowers in summer. To 50cm. [RHSD].
Clausena lansium Skeels
Frost hardy, middle-sized tree with pinnate leaves composed of rounded lance-shaped leaflets, panicles of small white flowers followed by edible pigeon egg-sized fruit, with yellow skin and white, slightly acrid but sweet pulp. To 6m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Clematis aristata R.Br. ex DC.
Macarthur’s ‘Clematis sp. nova (Argyle)’, an unidentified species or variety, is probably a form of Clematis aristata. This is a vigorous climber with ternate leaves, the leaflets usually simple, ovate and toothed, and white campanulate flowers. [FNSW].
Clematis azurea Hort.
Clematis azurea is figured in the Floricultural Cabinet: ‘This very handsome flowering species has been lately introduced in this country.’ [FC p.265 and 298/1836]. It is figured with bright blue flowers. This is probably Macarthur’s plant. It’s identity is not known but it is probably an early garden cultivar or hybrid, possibly a blue flowered form of Clematis viticella L.
Clematis campaniflora Brot.
Frost hardy, vigorous, deciduous climber with pinnate leaves, the leaflets in groups of three, bearing small, fragrant, lilac flowers in great profusion in terminal cymes in mid to late summer. To 6m. [RHSD, Hortus, Hilliers’.]
Clematis flammula L.
Semi-evergreen or deciduous climber with star-shaped, heavily-scented white flowers, 3cm across, freely produced in panicle-like cymes in summer and autumn, followed by silky seed heads. To 6m. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].
Clematis florida Thunb. var. bicolor
Frost hardy, deciduous or semi-evergreen weak-growing climber with single flowers, 7-10cm across, with creamy white sepals and domed bosses of rich purple stamens in spring and summer. To 2.5m. [RHSE, Hilliers’].
