Campanula rupestris Sibth. & Sm.

Horticultural & Botanical History

‘C. rupestris is a vague and invalid name.  Beautiful things and ugly have alike been sent out under it.  The true C. rupestris makes a silver-haired rosette of lyrate leaves, after the kind of C. Andrewsii; as indeed it should be, for it is only the variety brachyantha of C. Andrewsii itself, producing shorter velvety bells of pale beautiful colour and a waxy crystalline texture.  Beware of sham C. rupestris in catalogues.’  [Ronald Farrer – The English Rock Garden vol.1, p.195/1919].  Don.

History at Camden Park

Listed in the 1850 and 1857 catalogues [H.46/1850].

Notes

‘A confused name in the trade; perhaps the true plant of Greece is not cultivated with us.’  [Hortus Second].  A further four plants were described under this name at the time:

Campanula rupestris M.Bieb. (1808-1818) = Campanula biebersteiniana Roem. & Schult., synonym Campanula tridentata Schreb. subsp. biebersteiniana (Roem. & Schult.) Ogan.

Campanula rupestris Adams ex Ledeb. (1841) = Campanula bellidifolia Adams

Campanula rupestris Risso ex A.DC. = Campanula macrorrhiza Vuk.

Campanula rupestris Host = Campanula waldsteiniana Roem. & Schult.

But Campanula rupestris Spruner ex Nyman (1878-1885) = Campanula rupicola Boiss. & Spruner, is too late to be Macarthur’s plant.