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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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.
Crinum scabro-Macleayi no.2
A Crinum zeylanicum L. x Crinum Macleayi hybrid. The latter is unidentified but is probably a form of one of the native Australian species, Crinum flaccidum Herb. or Crinum pedunculatum R.Br.
In 1845 and 1846 William Macarthur described ten Crinum scabro-macleayii hybrids in his gardening notebooks. [MP A2948 Notebook no.4, p.4].
No.2. Resembling no.1 but ground colour of petals of delicate pink (1846, same as no.1) with a broad pencilled stripe of much deeper [word unclear but probably] colour down the centre of each, inside (1846, same as no.1).
Crinum scabro-Macleayi no.4
A Crinum zeylanicum L. x Crinum Macleayi hybrid. The latter is unidentified but is probably a form of one of the native Australian species, Crinum flaccidum Herb. or Crinum pedunculatum R.Br.
In 1845 and 1846 William Macarthur described ten Crinum scabro-macleayii hybrids in his gardening notebooks. [MP A2948 Notebook no.4, p.4].
No.4. Leaves long, narrower, pointed, deep green gradually tapering from the base, 2½ inches, to a slender point, 12-14 inches. A number are almost recumbent. Scape 2 feet. [The next section is somewhat indistinct, but does describe a scape with 12-16 fragrant flowers.] The petals are ¾-1 inch broad, 3 inches long, the corolla expanding to 4½ inches diameter, of delicate rosy pink inside and out but white at the base and with an irregular broad crimson stripe in the centre, very fragrant. [The next section is also indistinct] Filaments white, scabrous, anthers white, stigma tipped with purplish crimson.
Crinum scabro-Macleayi no.5
A Crinum zeylanicum L. x Crinum Macleayi hybrid. The latter is unidentified but is probably a form of one of the native Australian species, Crinum flaccidum Herb. or Crinum pedunculatum R.Br.
In 1845 and 1846 William Macarthur described ten Crinum scabro-macleayii hybrids in his gardening notebooks. [MP A2948 Notebook no.4, p.4].
No. 5. Resembles no. 4 but larger flowers, light pink inside and out deepening to a carmine tint in the centre of each. [Next section unclear]. Petals 1-1½ inches broad, ovate but terminating abruptly in a sharp point, corolla 5 inches in diameter. Very handsome. A second scape had 29 flowers.
Crinum scabro-Macleayi no.6
A Crinum zeylanicum L. x Crinum Macleayi hybrid. The latter is unidentified but is probably a form of one of the native Australian species, Crinum flaccidum Herb. or Crinum pedunculatum R.Br.
In 1845 and 1846 William Macarthur described ten Crinum scabro-macleayii hybrids in his gardening notebooks. [MP A2948 Notebook no.4, p.4].
No. 6. Much the same [as no.5] but flowers much paler and not so handsome, almost white [the rest is undeciphered].
Crinum scabro-Macleayi no.7
A Crinum zeylanicum L. x Crinum Macleayi hybrid. The latter is unidentified but is probably a form of one of the native Australian species, Crinum flaccidum Herb. or Crinum pedunculatum R.Br.
In 1845 and 1846 William Macarthur described ten Crinum scabro-macleayii hybrids in his gardening notebooks. [MP A2948 Notebook no.4, p.4].
No. 7 Much the same as no.5. Flowers darker outside, almost purple. The first scape had 11 flowers.
Crinum scabro-Macleayi no.8
A Crinum zeylanicum L. x Crinum Macleayi hybrid. The latter is unidentified but is probably a form of one of the native Australian species, Crinum flaccidum Herb. or Crinum pedunculatum R.Br.
In 1845 and 1846 William Macarthur described ten Crinum scabro-macleayii hybrids in his gardening notebooks. [MP A2948 Notebook no.4, p.4].
No. 8. Same colour as no.7 but smaller dark [undeciphered] formed.
Crinum scabro-Macleayi no.9
A Crinum zeylanicum L. x Crinum Macleayi hybrid. The latter is unidentified but is probably a form of one of the native Australian species, Crinum flaccidum Herb. or Crinum pedunculatum R.Br.
In 1845 and 1846 William Macarthur described ten Crinum scabro-macleayii hybrids in his gardening notebooks. [MP A2948 Notebook no.4, p.4].
No. 9. Flowers white with narrow [undeciphered, probably] crimson stripe in the centre of each petal.
Crinum scabro-pedunculatum ‘Augusta’
Crinum zeylanicum Herb. x Crinum pedunculatum R.Br. Originally Crinum scabro-pedunculatum hybrid no.2 in Macarthur’s notebook.
Much the same as the preceding [‘Cleopatra’] except that the flowers are larger, petals longer and more reflexed. The stripe in the centre of each is narrower, not so well defined and of lighter carmine, and the outside of each, at the point, is of a rich purplish crimson gradually shading off into the ground colour. [MP A2948 Notebook no.4, p.3].
‘Augusta’ was also described in John Bidwill’s notebook. This suggests that this variety at least, and possibly all of them, was hybridised by Bidwill, although he does not specifically make this claim.
Raised at Camden 1841, first flowered Christmas 1844. Bulb somewhat pear-shaped with a thick column, not naturally above ground, stained with red. Leaves scabrous 4 to 5 feet long, 5½ inches at their broadest point, the greater portion pendulous, resting on the ground, very like scabrum but much more robust. Scape 2 ft 6 ins high bearing 17 or 18 flowers which are sessile. The tube 5 inches, petals 4½ to 5 inches, outer about 1 inch, inner 1¼ ins broad, reflexed when fully expanded. Shape nearly that of pedunculatum but broader, not elliptic like scabrum, and 8 or 10 open at once. The flower when fully expanded 7½ ins across, pure white with a distinct stripe rather paler and brighter than that of scabrum. About 1 inch of the outside of the inner segments is coloured like the stripe, lips green. Anthers yellow, pollen apparently perfect. Filaments dark red approaching one another as in scabrum. A superb variety superior to either parent in almost every respect. [Bidwill p.7].
Crinum scabro-pedunculatum ‘Cleopatra’
A Crinum zeylanicum L. x Crinum pedunculatum R.Br. hybrid. Originally Crinum scabro-pedunculatum hybrid no.1 in Macarthur’s notebook, later named ‘Cleopatra’. Bulbs very large, round, but rather elongated, without column, leaves being produced close to the surface of the ground. Leaves 4-6 feet long, very broad, measuring as much as 7-8 inches at the widest [indistinct, probably] part, erect. Scapes 3-4 in November produced in succession from mid-December to February, about 30-36 inches high, stout, erect, surmounted by an umbel of 16-21 flowers, [indistinct, probably] ovary slightly pedunculated, green, tubes green, streaked with dark purple, about 4½-5 inches long, outer petals 1 inch, inner 1¼ inches broad, about 4-4½ inches long when fully expanded, reflexed and of thick substance like those of C. pedunculatum. From 8-12 expanded at once forming a complete crown or circle more than 12 inches in diameter, each flower measuring 6-7 inches across. Ground colour pure brilliant white with a well defined band down the centre of each petal, ¼ inch broad, of rich carmine. Stamens grouped together like those of C. scabrum, white below, purple above anthers, the [undeciphered] apparently imperfect and pollen yellow. Style dark crimson purple the same length as the petals and 1½ inches longer than the stamens. Fragrant. A most magnificent plant. 1841. [MP A2948 Notebook no.4, ps.1&2].
Like the other named cultivars of this cross it was probably bred by John Bidwill. See Crinum scabro-pedunculatum ‘Augusta’ for more information.
Crinum scabro-pedunculatum ‘Dido’
A hybrid, Crinum zeylanicum L. x Crinum pedunculatum R.Br. Originally Crinum scabro-pedunculatum hybrid no.3 in Macarthur’s notebook but the hybrid probably created by John Bidwill.
Resembling No. 1 [‘Cleopatra’] but plants not so vigorous and with shorter column. Flowers very large size and broader in the petal than ‘Augusta’. The stripe in the centre of each narrower and paler but quite regular, no colour outside. [MP A2948 Notebook no.4, p.3].
In 1846 Macathur described C. scabro-pedunculatum hybrid no. 4 as much the same as no. 3, probably the same, and in more detailed notes named it ‘Dido’: Less robust in habit than no.1 [‘Cleopatra’]. Leaves 8 inches broad at the base and more pointed, column shorter. Scape 2 feet, flowers 15 measuring about 7-7½ inches, petals very broad at base, more than 1¼ inches, diminishing towards the points, pure white with a narrow carmine stripe not extending to the point of the petal. Very handsome variety. [MP A2948 Notebook no.4, p.8]. Elsewhere hybrid no.4 is named ‘Helen’, which see.
Crinum scabro-pedunculatum ‘Helen’
A Crinum zeylanicum L. x Crinum pedunculatum R.Br. hybrid. Originally Crinum scabro-pedunculatum hybrid no.4 in Macarthur’s notebook. Broad petals from 1 to more than 1? inches wide, not so reflexed as Augusta. Stripe in the centre tolerably broad but imperfect and indefinite, very inferior in this respect to Augusta and Cleopatra, in other respects the finer flower. Diameter 6-7 inches. [MP A2948 Notebook no.4, p.40]. This plant, together with the other named plants of this cross, was probably bred by John Bidwill. See Crinum scabro-pedunculatum ‘Augusta’ for more detail.
Crinum scabro-pedunculatum ‘Thisbe’
A Crinum zeylanicum L. x Crinum pedunculatum R.Br. hybrid. Originally Crinum scabro-pedunculatum hybrid no.6 in Macarthur’s notebook. ‘Thisbe’, [although difficult to read]. Flowers very like that of Augusta but smaller and lacking that beautiful colour outside. Stripe inside and form of petals much the same. [MP A2948 Notebook no.4, p.40]. This plant was probably bred by John Bidwill. See Crinum scabro-pedunculatum ‘Augusta’ for more detail.
Crinum scabro-pedunculatum no.5
Crinum zeylanicum L. x Crinum pedunculatum R.Br. Bidwill and Macarthur raised several hybrids from this cross. Some were named and are described separately. See Crinum scabro-pedunculatum ‘Augusta’ for further details. One unnamed hybrid, no.5 in the series, was briefly described in Macarthur’s notebooks.
No.5. Very inferior to the rest. Flowers much smaller, petals narrower, of the [indistinct] and with a faint trace of crimson stripe in the centre. [MP A2948 Notebook no.4, p.6]. The entry is dated 1846.
Elsewhere in the notebooks Macarthur gives further details, giving it a name that is undeciphered.
No.5. Petals inferior in breadth to those of Helen and flower [undeciphered] stripe narrower, not so well defined, inferior in this respect to nos.1 [‘Cleopatra’] and 2 [‘Augusta’]. [MP A2948 Notebook no.4, p.40].
Crinum species Liverpool Plains (Macquariense?)
Probably a form of Crinum flaccidum Herb. which see for a description.
