Bulbous and Tuberous Rooted Plants
A division of the Camden Park catalogues that is not clearly defined. Some of the more important families of the Hortus are included here, Amaryllidaceae, Iridaceae and Liliaceae. It also contains a wide assortment of other plants with a modified stem or root that acts as a storage organ. Such plants are usually deciduous and have a distinct dormancy period. Shrubs and trees are not included, but there is some overlap with herbaceous plants.
Clinanthus incarnatus (Kunth) Meerow
Bulbous perennial with umbels of up to 6 pendant, tubular, white, yellow, pink or scarlet flowers produced in spring, the strap-shaped leaves produced with the flowers but elongating to 75cm after flowering. To 60cm. [RHSE, Baker Am.].
Clivia nobilis Lindl.
Rhizomatous perennial, easily distinguished from the common Clivia miniata by its longer, narrower strap-shaped leaves and umbels of 40-60 semi-pendant tubular red and yellow flowers, tipped with green, in spring, the scapes 40cm or more in height. [RHSE, Hortus].
Coburgia splendens Herb.
Coburgia splendens is now considerd to be synonymous with Clinanthus incarnatus (Kunth) Meerow which see. Herbert considered it to be a separate species as described below. Macarthur also no doubt considered it to be a good species and it is treated separately here for ease of identification.
‘Perianthemum coccineum apice virescens, laciniis longioribus acutioribus; folia carent. It is impossible to decide, without more perfect knowledge of these plants, whether this splendid flower should be considered as var. splendens of incarnata, or as distinct. It differs both in colour and the form of the segments of the limb. The leaves are wanting.’ [Herbert p.400/1837]. Herbert plate 47/1837.
Commelina coelestis Willd.
Frost-hardy, vigorous, clump-forming, erect, tuberous perennial with fleshy stems, lance-shaped leaves and freely produced cymes of vivid blue flowers in summer and autumn. To 90cm. [RHSE, Hortus].
Commelina graminifolia Sessé & Moc. var. stricta (Desf.) C.B.Clarke
‘Apparently very similar to C. tuberosa and C. coelestis, but perhaps distinguishable from the former in habit and in the narrower obovate-oblong sepals, and from the latter, more obviously, by the narrow, and elongate leaves.’ [J. F. Macbride - Flora of Peru part 1, no.3, p.604/1936].
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].
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].
Corytholoma splendens (Van Houtte) Fritsch
I have found no description to date.
Crinum americano-capense
A Crinum americanum L. x Crinum bulbispermum (Burm.f.) Milne-Redh. & Shweick. hybrid. A hybrid raised before 1845 presumably by John Bidwill or William Macarthur at Camden Park. Although first listed in the catalogues in 1845 there is no description of this hybrid in Macarthur’s or Bidwill’s notebooks.
Crinum americano-flaccidum
A Crinum americanum L. x Crinum flaccidum Herb. hybrid.
These three hybrids were described in William Macarthur’s notebook in an entry dated Christmas 1847. [MP A2948 notebook no.4].
No. 1. A monster producing white fragrant flowers [indistinct, probably] veined like Americanum, some shaped as C. americanum others like flaccidum, the majority on branching peduncles, 4 flowers on a peduncle.
No. 2. White, nothing remarkable. [Scabro-flaccidum? is written after this entry, suggesting doubt on parentage.]
No. 3. White with faint pink stain in the centre of each petal, scent of scabrum.
Crinum americano-macleayi
A Crinum americanum L. x Crinum Macleayi hybrid. No description of this hybrid is extant. Crinum macleayi remainds unidentified. It is probably of Australian origin and a form of either Crinum flaccidum Herb. or Crinum pedunculatum L. which see.
Crinum americanum L.
Deciduous, clump-forming perennial, spreading by stolons, with curved, slightly toothed leaves and umbels of up to 6 white flowers, with purple or brown backs, from spring to autumn. To 50cm. [RHSE, Hortus].
Crinum bulbispermum (Burm.f.) Milne-Redh. & Shweick.
Bulbous perennial with slender pointed leaves and, in summer, umbels of 6-12 fragrant, white or pink flowers, flared at the tips and with a central dark red stripe. Flowers rarely pure white. To 60cm. [RHSE, Hortus].
Crinum bulbispermum (Burm.f.) Milne-Redh. & Shweick. var. longiflora
Bulbous perennial with slender pointed leaves and, in summer, umbels of 6-12 fragrant, white or pink flowers, flared at the tips and with a central dark red stripe. Longer flowers than the type. To 60cm. [RHSE, Hortus]. See also Crinum bulbispermum (Burm.f.) Milne-Redh. & Shweick.
