Fuchsia macrantha Hook.

Horticultural & Botanical History

Youll & Co., Royal Nursery, Great Yarmouth, described it as ‘a fine species, with long purple flowers, habit of Humboldt’s splendens.’  [Gard. Chron. 1852].  Introduced to Britain in 1845.  [JD].  Found by William Lobb and sent to Veitches of Exeter.  ‘The great excellence of the species, apart from its own worth as an ornamental plant, consists in its complete distinction from others.  F. macrantha has, of course, family features; it is most like F. fulgens, being dwarf, and similar in habit, but it differs from that species in its very fine dark green foliage, and the gay colour and immense length of its flower tubes.’  [MB p.97/1846].  ‘If this be not the most brilliant coloured of Fuchsias it certainly can boast the largest flowers, and it bears them more copiously than any other species.  It is moreover quite an undescribed species, first, however, found by Mr. Mathews, climbing on trees in lofty mountains at Andimarca, Peru (n.1197 of Mathews' Collections), and it has been long in our Herbarium from that source, and next by Mr. Veitch's collector, Mr. William Lobb, detected in woods near Chasula, Columbia, at an elevation of 5,000 feet above the sea.  It was exhibited by Mr. Veitch at the Horticultural Society's rooms, on the 7th of April, and attracted much attention.’  [BM t.4233/1846].

History at Camden Park

Listed in the 1850 and 1857 catalogues [T. 484/1850].  Obtained from Veitch’s Nursery, brought out from England by Captain P. P. King in 1849.  Believed by Macarthur to be scarce in the colony although not a new introduction.  [ML A1980-3].

Notes