Rondeletia odorata Jacq.

Horticultural & Botanical History

‘This brilliant plant is a native of the Havannah, whence we received it through the kindness of our friend W. J. M’Leay, Esq. in 1830. […] The flowers are exceedingly rich in colour, and make a striking appearance, being quite as splendid as Ixora coccinea, if not more so, although our specimen was by no means a strong one.’  [LBC no.1893/1834]. 

‘A native, it is said, of Havana, and of Mexico.  Our specimen was communicated by Dr. Graham from the Edinburgh Botanic Garden in November, 1841, and its flowers were truly brilliant and of a vermilion colour, as they are described to be in its native country; so that I cannot but look upon the plant figured by Dr. Lindley in the Botanical Register above quoted, with more of yellow than red in their colour, as a variety.  The fragrance, however, as that Botanist justly observes, is not very powerful.  Its flowers render it a great ornament in the stove, where alone it can be cultivated successfully.  [BM t.3953/1842].

Introduced to Britain from Cuba in 1830, presumably a reference to Loddiges’ specimen.  [MB p.242/1835].  Fl.Ca. p.75/1838. 

History at Camden Park

Listed in the 1850 and 1857 catalogues [T.834/1850].  Obtained from the London Horticultural Society and Kew Gardens.  It was included among desiderata in a letter to John Lindley dated 15th February 1848 [MP A2933-1, p.157] and to Kew at about the same time [MP A2933-1, p.165] and marked ‘arrived’ on Macarthur’s copies.  It was also requested of Loddiges’ nursery on 13th February, 1848 [MP A2933-1. p.172] and apparently received from them as Macarthur commented in a letter dated 1st February 1849 that ‘Rondeletia speciosa is shewing a number of embryo panicles of blossom’.  [MP A2933-1, p.185].  

Notes