Passiflora herbertiana Ker-Gawl. var. herbertiana

Horticultural & Botanical History

‘The sample for the drawing came from Mr. Gowen; and had been taken from a plant in the collection at Highclere, in Hampshire; raised from seed gathered in the interior of New Holland, by Mr. Cunningham.  We have called the species after the family name of the possessor and introducer of the plant.  Comes near to Passiflora adiantifolia, figured in the second volume of this work, in respect to the flower and general habit of the shrub; but differs in the shape of the foliage.  It has the same remarkable and somewhat anomalous crown and operculum, the same keeled segments of the calyx, the same tall straight pistillum, but a shorter urceolus than adiantifolia.  Mr. Gowen says the plant grows and flowers freely, and is all but hardy.  An excellent subject for the conservatory.  Now first appearing in our collections’  [BR f.737/1823].

‘Native of New Holland, introduced a few years since: it flowers very freely in the beginning of summer and will also produce its fruit here.’  [LBC no.1364/1829].  First cultivated in Europe in 1821.  [RHSD].  

History at Camden Park

Listed in all published catalogues [T.728/1843].  This species is widespread along the coastal fringe north from Narooma [FNSW] and was probably collected locally by William Macarthur or one of his friends.

Notes