Herbaceous Plants
A division of the Camden Park catalogues that is poorly defined. Annuals and perennial herbs were included here. This is retained but Annuals are also separately identified.
Begonia nitida Dryand. var. odorata alba
Frost-tender, shrub-like begonia with medium, glossy green leaves, paler beneath, and large clusters of fragrant, small white flowers, suspended form the upper stems, mainly in winter. To 2m. [RHSD, Hortus, Krempin].
Begonia octopetala L’Hér.
Frost-tender, tuberous, low-growing begonia with large, kidney shaped leaves, to 30cm across and half as long, deeply lobed and serrated, with a stout and fleshy scape to 60cm, bearing white flowers in autumn. [RHSD, Krempin].
Begonia ottonis Walp.
Frost-tender, shrub-like begonia with small, oval, shiny green, serrated leaves and pinkish-white flowers, suspended in small clusters from the laterals, in summer. To 1.2m. [Krempin].
Begonia picta Sm.
Half-hardy tuberous rooted begonia with stems to 38cm, ovate leaves to 12cm long, dark green mottled with white and purple tinged above, and pink flowers to 3cm across, all year round under good conditions. [RHSD]. Hortus Second describes Begonia picta as probably a garden form of Begonia coccinea, but may be describing Begonia picta Hort. Henders. ex A.DC., synonym Begonia griffithii Hook., probably a different plant. It seems likely that Macarthur’s plant is that figured in Loddiges’ Botanical Cabinet.
Begonia plantanifolia Schott
Shrubby begonia with large dark green leaves with irregular white spots above and red beneath, and numerous small white flowers. To 45cm. A much larger plant with larger leaves, dark green on both sides, is often grown under this name. This is the plant figured in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine. [JD, RHSD].
Begonia reniformis Dryand.
Thick-stemmed begonia with large, grape-vine-shaped, lobed, green leaves with short hairs and small white flowers from winter to spring. To 1m or more. [RHSD, Krempin].
Begonia rubra Blume
No description at present. Described by Blume in Enumeratio Plantarum Javae in 1827.
Begonia sanguinea Raddi
Frost-tender, shrub-like begonia with red stems, medium, oval, shiny deep green leaves, red beneath, and clusters of up to 30 white flowers, suspended from the stems, from winter to spring. To 1.2m. A good hanging basket subject. [RHSD, Hortus, Krempin].
Begonia stipulacea Willd.
Frost-tender, tall-growing cane-type begonia with slender, weak, angular stems, oval, sharp-pointed leaves, bright green above and paler beneath, and freely produced cymes of white flowers throughout the year. To 60cm. [RHSD, Hortus, Krempin, BM t.7842/1902]. There is variation in the descriptions given by the authors noted which is a reflection of the variability of the species.
Begonia ulmifolia Willd.
Frost tender, shrubby, fibrous-rooted, branching species with toothed ovate-oblong, elm-like leaves, hairy on both sides, and clusters of small white flowers, to 1.5cm across, in winter. To 1.2m. [RHSD, Hortus].
Bellis perennis L.
Fully hardy, small stoloniferous perennial with white to crimson flowers from late winter throughout summer. Grown in gardens for centuries, there are many large flowered and double garden forms, such as B. perennis hortensis which is both large-flowered and double. [See Bellis perennis L. flore pleno]. [RHSE, Hortus].
Bellis perennis L. var. flore pleno
See Bellis perennis L. for details. Double-flowered garden form, synonymous with Bellis hortensis which has red or white flowers.
Bergenia ligulata (Wall.) Engl.
Marginally fully hardy perennial herb with somewhat heart-shaped, toothed leaves, and a forked panicle of very pale red, almost white, flowers in spring. To 30cm. [RHSD].
Billbergia grandiflora [Macarthur]
I have found no reference to a plant of this name. It is probably an unpublished nursery name for a Billbergia or a related species.
Billbergia zebrina Lindl.
Frost tender, evergreen epiphyte with scaly, laxly toothed, recurved leaves to 1m, banded silver or white, sometimes bronze-purple, forming a tubular rosette, and with an arching to pendant inflorescence of tubular yellow-green flowers with pink, papery bracts, arising from the centre of the leaves. To 1m in flower. [RHSD, Hortus].
