Campanula latifolia L.

Horticultural & Botanical History

Two varieties of Campanula latifolia L. are figured in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, the variety macrantha and the variety polyantha, described here.  ‘I am aware that Alphonse de Candolle in his valuable work on the Campanulaceae, as well as Dr. Sims, and lately even Dr. Fischer himself, are of opinion, that the present Bell-flower is only to be considered a variety of the C. latifolia; but on a careful comparison of the two, growing side by side in the Glasgow Botanic Garden, I cannot but look upon them as really distinct.  Besides the much larger and deeper colour of the flowers, the calyx is far more obtuse at the base, the leaves are much broader and coarser, and of a darker colour, and the whole plant is stouter and stronger.  That which I here consider the var. [polyantha] was received from Mr. Fischer the Gottingen Botanic Garden, and is certainly the handsomest of all the Campanulas, and the most worthy of a place in every collection, and in the borders of every shrubbery.  It was received with the name of “C. mucronata;” but as there is nothing mucronate about the plant, I am disposed to think that the word “macrantha” was intended to have been written.  It is a still taller plant than the C. latfolia L. var. macrantha, figured at t. 2553 of this work; the flowers are larger, of a bluer colour, and much more numerous upon the stem.’  [BM t.3347/1834].

History at Camden Park

Campanula latifolia was marked with a ‘c’, indicating grown at Camden, in an 1836 Loddiges’ catalogue held at Camden Park [CPA].  Certainly grown in the gardens from at least this time, probably earlier.

Notes