Charles X

origin not known, pre-1830

‘Charles X’, S. vulgaris
origin not known pre-1830; S VI
syn. – ‘Charles Dix’, ‘Charles the Tenth’, ‘Charlex X’, ‘Rubra’ (S. vulgaris), ‘Rubra Major’, ‘Caroli’ (?), ‘Karl X’, etc.
Audibert, Cat. 1831-1832; McKelvey, The Lilac, 274-276 [1928] – descriptions vary; Wister, Lilacs for America, 44, 45 [1942], 26 [1953]; Photo on Jorgovani/Lilacs 2015 DVD.
Named for Charles X, 1757-1836, King of France and of Navarre, 1824-1830.
Cultivar name presumed registered 1953; name established and accepted.
Nota bene: Plants in cultivation show variations that are not true-to-name.
Formerly a forcing cultivar in the Netherlands.

Международный регистр названий культиваров
рода Syringa L., сентябрь 2024

Charles X. Audibert, Cat. 1831-1832, 51, name only, as Charles dix. – Loudon, Arb. Brit. 1. 1209 (1838), as Charles X. (S. v. Caroli Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836). – Oudin, Cat. 1839-1840, 1, as Lilas Charles X. — Ellwanger and Barry, Cat. no. 2, 9 (1855-1856), as S. Charles the Xth. – Kirchner in Petzold and Kirchner, Arb. Muscav. 494 (1864), as Caroli Lodd. (Charles X. Hort.). – Hartwig and Rimpler, Vilmorin’s Blumengärtn. 564 (1875), as Syringa rothomagensis var. regia Hort., Königs-Flieder; French, Lilas royal, L. Charles X. – Lavallée, Arb. Segrez. 169 (1877), as S. vulgaris var. purpurea major (Vulg. Lilas Charles X.). — Dieck, Haupt-Cat. Zöschen, 77 (1885). — Nicholson, Dict. Gard. 11I. 537, fig. 560 (p. 534) (1887); in Garden and Forest, 11. 88 (1889). – Dippel, Handb. Laubholzk. 1. 112 (1889), as Charles X. = rubra major. – L. Henry in Jardin, vII. 175 (1804), “Boutons rouge violacé s’ouvrant en rouge pourpré. Fleurs devenant ardoisées. Inflorescences fortes et compactes mais assez courtes. Ancienne variété, toujours très estimée. L’une des plus employées pour le forçage. . . .” as Charles X. (Rubra major). — Voss, Vilmorin’s Blumengärtn. 652 (1896), as “Charles X.” (syn. f. rubra major Hort.), Königs-flieder. – Amer. Florist, x1I. fig. (p. 1076) (1897). – Gordon in Gardeners’ Mag. xliv. fig. (p. 497) (1901). — Clarke in Gard. Mag. v. 74, fig. (1907). Wilson in Gard. Mag. xxш. fig. (p. 155) (1916). Rehder in Bailey, Stand. Cycl. Hort. VI. 3298 (1917), as Charles X. (Caroli); 3301 (1917). – D. Hill Nursery Co., Cat. “Hill’s Evergreens,” t. fig. 4 (opp. p. 72) (1924).
A number of other names for Charles X. are found in nursery catalogues as follows: superba (William Prince, 1835-1836, 51. William R. Prince, 1841-1842, 40); Carolus decimus (Oudin, 1841, 22; 1845-1846, 25); violacea superba (Winter, 1843-1844, 62); Caroli (William R. Prince, 1844-1845, 70); grandiflora (Baumann, 1846, 15; no. 159, 38, 1879); Rubra major (A. Leroy, 1851, 47. – L. Leroy, 1858-1859, 94. – Dauvesse, no. 24, 42, 1859. Baudriller, no. 43, 143, 1880. Simon-Louis, 1886-1887, 58. Späth, no. 69, 115, 1887-1888); Caroli X. (Parsons, 1850, 25. – William R. Prince, 1860 1861, 42); rouge de Trianon (Dauvesse, no. 20, 24, 1855); major (Van Houtte, no. 215-d, 46, 1855-1856); purpurca major (Van Houtte, no. 255-g, 36, 1893); rubra (Détriché, 1893-1894, 16).
While this form has been commonly cultivated for many years it has been impossible to trace its origin or to find a description distinguishing it with any certainty from numerous somewhat similar forms.
Whether such names as Grandiflora, Rouge de Trianon and Rubra major were correctly used, in the above references, as corresponding names for Charles X, is uncertain; these names were more frequently used without reference to Charles X. and, where they, have so appeared, have been retained as distinet forms, since at this date their ideutifca tion and proper classification are impossible. In the case of Rubra major the name has also been applied to the Marly Lilac oulgaris var, purpurea), Ottolander (Sieboldia, 11. 187, 1876) cites both Charles X, and Rouge de Trianon as corresponding names for his variety Rubra major. Wilhelm Ulrich (Internat. Wörterb. Pilanzennamen, 230, 1872) gives as corresponding names for his S. valgaris major, of which he gives no description, the English name Larger-red Lilac, the German name der grosse Lilak and the French names le lilas à grandes fleurs rouges, le lilas royal, le lilas Charles X.
It is certain that the form Charles X. nearly approaches S. vulgaris var. purpurea. Both have been described as purple and as red. It is probable that the forms of the Common Lilac known as Purpurea grandiflora, Rouge royal, Rubra grandiflora, Rubra insignis and Rubra purpurea are also close to Charles X.
It is wrongly classified as a variety of S. rothomagensis [= S. chinensis] by Hartwig and Rümpler. Decaisne and Naudin (Man. Amateur Jard. 11. 88, fig. 27, 1862-1866) and Hemsley (Handb. Hardy Trees, 296, fig. 165, 1877) also wrongly classify it as a variety of S. dubia [= S. chinensis]. Mouillefert (Traîté Arb. Arbis. 11. 998, 18921898) mentions it as a sub-variety of S. vulgaris var. purpurea and calls it “rubra major,
vulg. L. Charles X.”
While certain catalogues mention Caroli or Caroli X. as corresponding names for Charles X., yet Späth (Cat. no. 69, 114, 115, 1887-1888) mentions as separate forms S. vulgaris rubra major (Charles X.) and S. vulgaris Caroli Lodd.; Olmsted, Colville and Kelsey (Stand. PI. Names, 485, 1923) keep as distinct Caroli and Charles the Tenth. The S. vulgaris caroli of Loddiges’ catalogue (1836, 67) appears as a name only. Loddiges does not mention the form Charles X. although Loudon cites the name of Loddiges’ plant as identical with the name Charles X. The plant mentioned by Loudon as Charles X. (S. v. Caroli Lodd.) was growing at the Loddiges arboretum and was received from Soulange-Bodin. Loudon writes that it “appears to be a variety of S. v. purpurea” although he notes that he saw it only in leaf. Kirchner considers the forms Charles X. and Caroli to be the same. The two names appear separately also in the catalogue of the Muskauer Baumschulen (Haupt-Katalog, 1910, 36). A plant bearing the name Caroli is growing in the Rochester collection, but, as described later, is not the same as either the Rochester or the Arnold Arboretum plant of Charles X.
A. Leroy (Cat. 1850, 9) lists, as a name only, a Syringa royalis or Royal lilac which by Carrière and AndréRev, Hort, 1854,
may be the same as Charles X. Carrière (Rev. Hort. 1877, 203) mentions Lilas royal as a corresponding name for Charles X. See the form Rouge royal.
This form has been much used for forcing; its suitability for this purpose has been discussed by Carrière (Rev. Hort. 1877, 158, 203). Paillet (Rev. Hort. 1880, 103), Mottet (Rev, Hort, 1895, 241), Voss (1. c.), and many others note that it is especially good for this purpose, Maumene (Jardin, 312, gs, 174, 175, 102 57, hg 30, 1004) and Lochot (Rev, Hort, 10o4, 252, fig, 103) diseuss the use of ether in its forcing, and numerous illustrations show it as a forced plant.
Instances of its abnormal flowering are given by Carrière (Rev, Hort, 1875, 403) and by Carriére and André (Rev. Hort. 1884, 315).
The fowers of Charles X. in th Rochester and Arnold Arboretum collections are not the same. Both descrptions tollow since I am uncertam which, if either is true to name.
Notes on plant in Dept. of Parks, Rochester, N. Y. (recived from Späth or Barbier in 1908). Flowers single, medium size; corolla-lobes cucullate; tone intermediate; color in bud Schoenfeld’s Purple (XXVI.) to Light Perilla Purple (XXXVII.); when expanded Argyle Purple without, Saccardo’s Violet (XXXVII.) within. Clusters broadly pyramidal, open, medium size. The Flowers appear to be paler without than within.
Notes on plant in Arnold Arboretum (grown from cuttings taken June 10, 1895, from plant received from A. Waterer in April, 1887; no. 17, 368 – I Arn. Arb.). Flowers single, medium size, symmetrical; corolla-lobes broad, cucullate, rounded or slightly pointed at apex; anthers visible but not conspicuous; tone dark to intermediate; color in bud Neutral Red to Deep Hellebore Red to Eupatorium Purple (XXXVIII.); when expanded Eupatorium Purple to Tourmaline Pink (XXXVIII) without, Dull Magenta Purple (xxvi.) to Saccardo’s Violet marked with Lobelia Violet (XXXVII.) within. Clusters compact, medium size, conical.
Notes on the plant of Caroli in the Dept. of Parks, Rochester, N. Y. (received from Lemoine in 1900), Flowers single, medium size; corolla-lobes cucullate; tone dark to intermediate; color in bud Neutral Red to Deep Hellebore Red (XXXVIII.); when expanded Eupatorium Purple to Pale Laelia Pink (XXXVIII.) without, Dull Magenta Purple (XXVI.) to Chinese Violet to Lilac (XXV.) within. Clusters broad-pyramidal. This has the appearance of an old form.
A form of Charles X. with variegated leaves is mentioned as a name only by Dauvesse (Cat, no. 36, 46, 1872) as Lilas Charles X. à feuilles panachées jaune. Baudriller (Cat. no. 43, 143, 1880) lists it also as S. vulgaris rubra major foliis aureo variegalis and as Lilas commun Charles X. à feuilles panachées de jaune. L. Henry (I. c.) mentions the existence of “une variation à feuilles panaché doré.” Although called S. vulgaris L. Charles X. fol[iis] arg[enteis] var. by C. van Kleef (Sieboldia, 11I. 376, 1877) the plant’s leaves are described as yellow dotted, – “Met geel gevlekte bladeren,” – which does not account for the use of the adjective “argenteis” or silvery. It is undoubtedly the same plant as that mentioned by Dauvesse, etc.

“THE LILAC: A Monograph” Susan Delano McKelvey, MacMillan, New York, 1928

Карл X Charles X (Charles Dix, Rubra, Rubra Major)
(Audibert, pre 1830)
Бутоны темно-лиловые; цветки лилово-пурпурные, средние (1,3-1,5 см), простые, очень душистые; лепестки овальные, вогнутые. Соцветия из двух-трех пар широкопирамидальных, кругловатых, плотных и прочных метелок средней величины. Кусты высокие, прямые. Цветет очень обильно, в средние сроки, хорошо плодоносит. Рекомендуется для ранней выгонки, оформления, срезки.

«ВИДЫ И СОРТА СИРЕНИ, КУЛЬТИВИРУЕМЫЕ В СССР» Л.И. Рубцов,
Н.Л. Михайлов, В. Г. Жоголева, Киев, Наукова Думка, 1980

Карл X — Charles X.
В дендрарии [Киев] 4 привитых куста, выращенных из 3-5-летних саженцев, полученных в 1946 г. из Германии. В 28-29 лет достигли 3,4 м выс. Цветки простые, средней величины до 1,8-2 см в диаметре, пурпурно-красные. Запах слабый. Соцветия крупные, до 24 см дл., 12-20 см шир., с 2-4 кистями цветков. Цветков в соцветии от 650 до 860. Кусты продуцируют до 295 соцветий. Средняя дата зацветания 15.V. Продолжительность цветения 10-22 дня. Цветет ежегодно, обильно. Декоративный, обильно цветущий сорт, хорош для выгонки.

“ДЕРЕВЬЯ И КУСТАРНИКИ. Покрытосеменные. Справочник”.
Киев, Наукова думка, 1974

Сегодня в ботанических садах мира можно встретить 2-3 варианта этого сорта. Сорт Карл X был создан в первой половине XIX века. Ближайшая к этому времени гравюра художника D.G.J.M. Bois была опубликована в издании   Эдварда Степа «Избранные цветы для сада и оранжереи»  Step, E., Bois, D., Favourite flowers of garden and greenhouse, vol. 3: t. 178 (1896-1897)
Открытка, на которой мы также можем увидеть изображение этого сорта, относится примерно к самому началу XX века. Какой из Карлов X настоящий, установить доподлинно невозможно.

Татьяна Полякова, 25.01.2025