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here were listed in the catalogues of plants published by Sir William Macarthur in 1843, 1845, 1850 and 1857 and in an unpublished catalogue dated 1861.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.
Cymbidium suave R.Br.
Frost-hardy epiphytic orchid with non-pseudobulbous stem, to 30cm long, leaves to 40cm long, and arching racemes, to 45cm long, of numerous, small, fleshy, fragrant, yellowish-green flowers in spring or summer. A very variable species. [RHSD, Jones, FNSW, Beadle].
Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng.
Frost tender tufted grass with erect stems and a much-branched, ornamental inflorescence. To 30cm. [RHSD, Hortus].
Cypella plumbea Lindl.
Bulbous perennial with sword-shaped leaves and 3–4 lead-coloured, iris-like flowers per stem, tinged yellow in the centre. [RHSD, Hortus].
Cyperus papyrus L.
A frost tender, stout perennial reed, the leaves in a drooping umbel at the top of the stem. To 3m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Cyrtanthus elatus (Jacq.) Traub
Deciduous, sometimes evergreen perennial with erect, strap-shaped leaves and up to 9 open funnel-shaped bright scarlet flowers in late summer. In the wild they often flower after fire. To 60cm by 10cm. There are a number of varieties. [CECB, RHSE, Hortus].
Cyrtanthus obovatus unidentified
Unidentified. Cyrtanthus obovatus is not mentioned in the extended monographs on the Amaryllidaceae by Herbert or Baker or in the more limited review of Traub.
Cyrtopodium punctatum (L.) Lindl.
Terrestrial or epiphytic orchid with cigar-shaped pseudobulbs, up to 20 leaves and large panicles of greenish yellow flowers with purple spots. [RHSD, Hortus, Pridgeon].
Cytisus albus Hacq.
Fully-hardy, dwarf, spreading shrub with downy stems and terminal clusters of white or creamy flowers in spring and summer. To 3m. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].
Cytisus linifolius (L.) Lam.
Fully-hardy, evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub with erect branches, linear leaves, to 15mm long, and congested terminal racemes of golden yellow, pea-like flowers, to 8mm long. To 3m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Cytisus nigricans L.
Fully-hardy, erect, deciduous shrub with upright shoots, 3-palmate leaves and slender, terminal racemes of yellow flowers in summer. To 1.5m. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].
Cytisus villosus Pourr.
Frost-tender, low, spineless shrub with soft spreading hairs, trifoliate leaves and yellow flowers, borne in groups of three from the leaf axils in spring. To 1.2m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Daboecia cantabrica (Huds.) K.Koch.
Fully-hardy, prostrate to erect shrub with lance-shaped leaves, lustrous above and silver-hairy beneath, and 10cm long racemes of rounded urn-shaped purple-pink flowers in summer and autumn. To 40cm. There are many garden varieties. [RHSE, Hortus, Hilliers’].
Dahlia ‘Beauty of Bedford’
Mayles’ ‘Beauty of Bedford’. ‘Most beautiful shaded purple, and may sometimes be obtained good enough for show, although not a first rate form.’ [FC p.12/1838].
Dahlia ‘Beauty of Perry Hill’
‘Beauty of Perry Hill’ was described as peach and white in the Floricultural Cabinet. It was listed as a new dahlia, sold at the relatively high price of 10s 6p. [FC p.94/1836].
Dahlia ‘Beauty of Slough’
A show dahlia, white petals tipped with crimson-purple. [Fish]. ‘Beauty of Slough’, bred by Bragg, had a full-sized, well shaped flower with a blush ground colour and markings variously described as ‘mottled lacing of crimson-purple’, and ‘strongly tipped with crimson’, although its centre was considered to be a little ‘confused’. It was awarded a First Class Certificate at the National Floricultural Society show. [Gard. Chron. 1853]. Among the prize takers at the great exhibition of these flowers held in Edinburgh, open to the United Kingdom, was ‘Beauty of Slough’. [Gard. Chron. 1855]. Obviously an outstanding variety it was also a prize winner at the Grand National Dahlia Show, September 1858. [Gard. Chron. 1858].
