Notice

Colin Mills, compiler of the Hortus Camdenensis, died in late November 2012 after a short illness. As he always considered the Hortus his legacy, it is his family's intention to keep the site running in perpetuity. It will not, however, be updated in the near future.

Calceolaria ringens Hort.

Hybrid calceolarias.

Florist’s calceolaria: Florists’ calceolarias are hybrids of several, often indeterminate species.  ‘Bloom perfectly round; colour, back bright as front; lip, throat, and calyx, small; markings, if any, decided and dense; substance thick and stiff; stems strong and branching; footstalks elastic; plant decidedly shrubby, and the bloom just above the foliage.’  [FC p.10/1848].  ‘This is a favourite genus, and contains some very showy species, from which an almost countless number of handsome hybrids have been raised and are raising.’  [PD, 1849]. 

Horticultural & Botanical History

Later editions of Paxton’s Dictionary comment on Calceolaria ringens: ‘Garden varieties – these are too numerous to allow even a select list; many however are very beautiful.’  This is very suggestive of hybrid origin.  Illustration Horticole figures 20 varieties of hybrid calceolaria [IH p.110 Vol. 3/1856] and Flore des Serres [FS pl.VIII 7e Liv./1847] a similar number. 

History at Camden Park

Listed in the 1845, 1850 and 1857 catalogues [H.36/1845].  Macarthur was certainly interested in these new improved hybrids of Calceolaria.  He received plants from J. Abbott of Hobart, probably in 1845, but reported on 16th June 1846 that ‘the […] calceolaria have not succeeded’ due to hot weather and drought.  He included ‘Calceolarias (any)’ in a list of desiderata accompanying the letter.  [MP A2933-2, p.159]. 

Notes

Published Jan 26, 2009 - 03:34 PM | Last updated Feb 18, 2010 - 05:07 PM

The image depicts a single flower from 20 varieties of Calceolaria, all brightly coloured.  L'Illustration Horticole 1856.

Calceolaria ringens Hort. | IH p.110 Vol. 3/1856 | RBGS

Family Scrophulariaceae
Category
Region of origin

Garden origin, England and Europe

Synonyms
Common Name

Florists’ calceolaria

Name in the Camden Park Record

Calceolaria ringens 

Confidence level high