Polygonatum multiflorum (L.) All.

Horticultural & Botanical History

‘Solomon’s-Seal.  Polygonatum & Sigillum Solomonis.  The stalks grow to two foot high, the leaves are a grass green above and a willow green underneath, and the flowers white tinctured with green.  It grows wild in several woods and copses here, and flowers in May.  The leaves & root are used, being esteemed vulnerary and restringent, good to stop all kinds of fluxes & haemorrhages, & consolidate wounds, fractures and ruptures, especially the root.  Matthiolus commends the root, preserved in sugar, as of great service against ye Fluor albus.  Some say a Cataplasm of ye root is good to take away black and blue marks arising from contusions.’  [Blackwell pl.251/1737].

History at Camden Park

Listed in the 1850 and 1857 catalogues [B.403/1850].  Macarthur’s ‘Polygonatum sp.’ is likely to be Polygonatum multiflorum as this name was hand-written in an 1850 copy of the catalogue held at the Mitchell Library, signed by William Macarthur and dated 23rd Dec. 1854.  [ML635.9m].

Notes

A less likely possibility is Polygonatum x hybridum Hort., a Polygonatum multiflorum (L.) All. x Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce hybrid, the Common Solomon’s seal, a plant of garden origin.

A popular Victorian plant it is a fully hardy, rhizomatous perennial with arching, hairless stems bearing alternate, lance-shaped leaves held horizontally, and pendant, tubular, green-tipped, creamy-white flowers in spring.  To 1.5m by 30cm.  [RHSE].