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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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 species North Coast
Probably a form of Crinum pedunculatum R.Br. which see for a description.
Crinum species North West Coast
Probably a form of Crinum flaccidum Herb. which see for a description. Crinum flaccidum has been identified from the north west coast of Western Australia, between Geraldton and Karratha, north of Shark Bay.
Crinum species South West Interior no.1
Probably a form of Crinum flaccidum Herb. which see for a description.
Crinum species South West Interior no.2
Probably a form of Crinum flaccidum Herb. which see for a description.
Crinum variabile (Jacq.) Herb.
Bulbous perennial, 10-12 strap-like leaves to a bulb, leaves to 60cm long and 5cm wide, and umbels of 6-12 heavily scented white to pale pink flowers with deeper pink or green keels. To 60cm. [RHSD, Baker Am., CECB].
Crinum x amabile Donn
The identification of this plant is uncertain. It may be Crinum amabile Donn ex Ker Gawl., regarded as a synonym of Crinum asiaticum L. var. asiaticum by The Plant List. However, the plants described and illustrated as Crinum amabile in both the Botanical Magazine and the Botanical Register have deep red striped flowers so it seems more likely that Crinum x amabile Donn is their subject. For more information on Crinum asiaticum see Crinum pedunculatum R.Br.
Crinum x amabile Donn is a sterile hybrid. Small, long-necked bulbs produce lance-shaped leaves to 1.2m long and 10cm wide, tapering to a point, and a scape to 90cm tall bearing an umbel of up to 30 very fragrant flowers, to 10cm long, with a bright red cylindrical tube and purplish-red-tinged white segments with a crimson central band. [RHSD, Hortus].
Crinum x augustum Roxb.
Again an uncertain identification, but probably Crinum x augustum Roxb., a dwarf species with up to 30 leaves to each bulb, to 10cm long, purple-tinged scapes, to 13cm high, bearing umbels of up to 30, long-tubed, funnel-shaped, fragrant, bright rosy-red flowers, white or paler pink inside, striped with pale pink. [RHSD, Hortus, Baker Am.].
Crinum zeylanicum L.
Frost-tender, deciduous, bulbous perennial with a large bulb, to 20cm diameter, up to 10, thin, erect or spreading, sword-shaped leaves, sometimes with undulating edges, and flower stems, to 90cm long, bearing up to 20, fragrant white flowers, with a broad violet-crimson keel, in spring. To 90cm. [RHSD, Hortus].
Crinum zeylanicum L. var. ornatum
For a description of the species see Crinum zeylanicum L. Amaryllis ornata, figured in Curtis's Botanical Magazine, common name ‘Crimson and White Amaryllis’, is depicted with white flowers with a distinctly purple stripe in the copy that I have seen, although this may be an anomaly. It seems very similar to Crinum scabrum except that the flower segments are not so widely spread, and are much less reflexed at the tips. It is described as being from Africa and sometimes known as the ‘Cape Coast Lily’. [BM t.1171/1809].
Crocus flavus Haw.
A winter or spring flowering crocus with narrowly linear leaves with a white mid-rib, and large cup-shaped flowers of bright yellow. [RHSD, Hortus].
Crocus susianus Ker-Gawl.
Spring flowering cormous perennial with grey-green linear leaves and 1 or 2 narrow, orange-yellow flowers. To 5cm. [RHSE, Hortus].
Crocus vernus Hill. subsp. vernus
Spring- to early summer-flowering crocus with grass-like foliage, producing solitary flowers in white or shades of lilac or purple. A purple-striped crocus is consistent with C. vernus. To 12cm. [RHSE, Hortus].
Crossyne guttata (L.) D. & U.Müller-Doblies
Crossyne guttata has 4-6 strap-shaped, spreading leaves, to 11cm wide, and umbels of up to 200 small, maroon or dusky pink flowers on rigid pedicels, radiating out to form an almost complete sphere. To 50cm. [CECB].
Crowea saligna Andr.
Frost tender, open-branched shrub with slender stems, narrowly elliptic leaves and bearing solitary, waxy pink flowers, 3.5cm across, from the leaf axils in summer and autumn. To 1.5. [RHSE, FNSW, Beadle].
Cryptocarya species unidentified
Cryptocarya is a genus of some 250 species of trees or shrubs from the tropics or sub-tropics. 15 species are recognised in NSW, including Cryptocarya bidwillii Meissn. This was not described until 1864, the type plant originating from Wide Bay, now in Queensland, suggesting that Bidwill found it there after he was appointed Commissioner in 1849.
