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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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.
Commersonia echinata Forst.
‘A low shrub, with tomentose, irregularly-twisted branches. leaves cordate […]. Flowers small, white, in lateral panicles, coming out opposite the leaves.’ [BM t.1813/1816]. ABR t.603/1810.
Comptonia peregrina (L.) Coulter
Fragrant, suckering, deciduous shrub with deeply cut, fern-like pinnate leaves, male catkins and globular female flowers, followed by small ovoid fruits. To 1.2m. [RHSD, Hortus, Hilliers’].
Conanthera campanulata Lindl.
Half-hardy, bulbous perennial with linear basal leaves which wither during flowering and reappear during winter, and slender branching stems bearing lax panicles of up to 10, blue to dark purple-blue, occasionally almost white, flowers in spring. [RHSD, Grey].
Conanthera species white
Conanthera is a genus of 5 recognised species of bulbous perennials from Chile. Most species have purple flowers although Conanthera campanulata Lindl., which see for more detail, occurs naturally in a white flowered form and this is a possibility. Perhaps a more likely identification is Conanthera parvula (Phil.) M.Muñoz, a species with white flowers with purple markings, or Conanthera urceolatata Rav., a species growing to 5cm with a stout stem and drooping umbel of pinkish-white flowers. The remaining recognised species are Conanthera bifolia Ruiz & Pav. and C. trimaculata (D.Don) Lindl., both with mauvish-purple flowers. [www.chileflora.com].
Consolida ambigua (L.) P.W.Ball & Heyw.
Fully hardy annual with fern-like leaves and tall spires of flowers in pink, white or violet-blue. Many garden cultivars exist. To 1.2m. [RHSE, Hortus].
Convallaria majalis L.
Hardy, rhizomatous perennial, the lance-shaped to elliptic basal leaves and arching racemes of pendent, bell-shaped, strongly scented white flowers produced in spring. To 25cm. [RHSE, Hortus].
Convolvulus althaeoides L.
Fully hardy, vigorous, slender, climbing or trailing perennial with heart-shaped, lobed, hairy, silvery-green leaves and axillary clusters of 1-3 widely funnel-shaped, clear pink flowers to 4cm across, in summer. To 15 cm. [RHSE, Hortus].
Convolvulus tricolor L.
Fully hardy, bushy, upright, then spreading perennial, usually grown as an annual, with funnel-shaped royal-blue flowers with a lighter centre in succession throughout summer. Many cultivars are available. To 40cm. A very useful bedding and edging plant. [RHSE, Hortus].
Corallobotrys acuminata Hook.f.
Frost-tender, epiphytic, evergreen, irregularly branched shrub with alternate, bluntly toothed, lance-shaped leaves, purple beneath, and abundant corymbs of small, pendant, almost globular, bright coral-red flowers. [RHSD, Don].
Cordia myxa L.
Tender deciduous tree with broad, ovate leaves, to 12cm long, and large clusters of white flowers followed by mucilagenous, tan-coloured fruits, once used in medicine. [RHSD, Hortus].
Cordia sebestena L.
Frost tender. evergreen shrub or tree with entire, ovate leaves, to 20cm long and 12-45 flowered cymes of funnel-shaped orange-yellow flowers. To 10m. The wood is highly perfumed when burnt. [RHSD, Hortus].
Cordyline australis Hook.f.
Half hardy, erect, palm-like tree, branching sparingly, with arching, green to yellow-green, lance-shaped leaves, to 90cm long, and broad panicles, 1m or more long, of tiny, creamy-white flowers in summer, followed by white or blue-tinted berries. To 10m. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].
Cordyline baueri Hook.f.
Branching trunk, the leathery leaves broader than Cordyline australis. To 4 m. [www.rarepalmseeds.com].
Coreopsis lanceolata L.
Fully hardy, clump-forming perennial with upright, solitary flower heads with brighr yellow daisy-like flowers from late spring to mid-summer. To 60cm. [RHSE, Hortus].
Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt.
Fully hardy erect annual, bearing solitary, bright yellow flower heads, shading to brown red at the bases. Darker colour variants are available. In early Victorian gardens the darker flowered forms, in shades of scarlet purple, edged with yellow, were often known as Calliopsis bicolor. To 1.2m. [RHSE, Hortus].
