Dichroa febrifuga Lour.

Horticultural & Botanical History

‘This new and interesting Genus was found by Dr. Wallich, inhabiting barren, stony, and mountainous places near Bechiaco, in Nepal, and by him introduced to the Royal Gardens at Kew [as Adamia cyuanea]; whence a flowering specimen, accompanied by a drawing from which the annexed figure of the natural size was taken, were kindly communicated, by W. T. Aiton, Esq.  Dr. Wallich characterises it as an elegant shrub, covered with large panicles of pale blue or pink flowers, which are succeeded by an almost equally ornamental profusion of deep blue berries.’  [BM t.3046/1831].  ‘It certainly is a great ornament, and is a new style of flower among stove plants’.  [Gard. Chron. 1850].  ‘For some time after the introduction of this plant it was generally complained of as being a shy bloomer.  It certainly cannot be considered a first-class plant, the flowers not being highly coloured nor very showy [but] its Hydrangea-like heads of flowers [can be] produced in succession for months and remain long in perfection’.  [Gard. Chron. 1854]. Introduced to Britain in 1844 as Adamia versicolor by Robert Fortune.  [JD].  

History at Camden Park

Listed only in the 1857 catalogue as Adamia versicolor [T.22/1857] and Adamia cyanea [A.1/1857], which see.  It seems possible that the two forms grown by Macarthur differed in flower colour, that grown as Adamia cyanea having blue flowers and Adamia versicolor having pinkish to blue flowers.

Notes