Paeonia species key

This key will help you identify your paeonia species. Natural peony populations tend to show a great deal of variability, so they are difficult to describe and you may find that a plant in one population of a species might also fit in with another species; the descriptions are based on averages. Keep in mind that most paeonia species in the garden are probably hybrids. If you want to change an answer to the questions along the way, please refresh the whole page and restart, sorry for that, but this is due to technical reasons. The key is based upon Hong De-Yuan “Peonies of the World”, but added upon from other sources as mentioned each time. Some more subspecies and new species along with more images will be added as time permits.

The genus paeonia

A perennial dies back above ground each year and grows from below ground buds in Spring. A shrub has woody stems and will start new growth on this in Spring. Another difference between herbaceous and shrubby peonies is the disk. The disk is a flat, circular plate below the carpels. In herbaceous peonies this disk can be visible or not, but is always simply below the carpels. In shrubby peonies it goes upwards, surrounding the carpels partly or whole, and is then called a sheath.

Paeonia ludlowii


Deciduous and caespitose shrubs, up to 3.5 m tall, glabrous throughout. Roots attenuate downward, not fusiform. Stems grey, up to 4 cm in diameter. Shoots green, with 8-12 scales at the base. Lower leaves biternate, green above, pale glaucous beneath; petioles 8-18 cm long; leaflets 9, lateral 3 leaflets on each side with main petiolules 2-3.5 cm long, terminal 3 leaflets with main petiolules 5-11 cm long; leaflets nearly sessile, but not decurrent, 6—19 cm long, 5—15 cm wide, 3—segmented to halfway or nearly to the base; segments 4—12 cm long, 1.5—5.5 cm wide, mostly 3—lobed to the middle; lobes 2—5 cm long, 0.5—2.5 cm wide, entire or with 1 or 2 teeth, segments, lobes, and teeth all acuminate at the apex. Flowers 3 or 4 on each shoot, both terminal and axillary, with the terminal one blooming first, forming a cyme; pedicels slightly curved, 5-14 cm long, naked or with a leafy bract; involucrate bracts 4 or 5, green; sepals 3 or 4, grading into one another, all or all except one caudate at the apex; petals pure yellow, spreading, obovate rounded at the apex, 4—5.5 cm long, 2.5-3.5 cm wide; filaments yellow, 1.1—1.5 cm long, anthers yellow, c. 4 mm long; disk fleshy, 1 mm high, yellow, waved; carpels mostly single, very rarely 2; stigmas sessile, yellow. Follicles cylindrical, 4.7—7 cm long, 2—3.3 cm in diameter. Seeds kidney-shaped, dark brown, c. 1.5 cm long, 1.2 cm in diameter.

Chromosome number: 2n=10 (diploid).

Paeonia ludlowii was collected from sparse forests and thickets, on granites at altitudes of 2,870—3,450 m. This is a narrow endemic in southeastern Xizang (Tibet) and known from Nyingchi, Mailing, and Lhünzê counties at 28.4—29.9°N, 92.4—94.8°E.

This species is also a medicinal plant and is often dug out by local people for its root bark. In three of the five populations studied (D. Y. Hong et al. H96007, H96014, H96030), hundreds of individuals were dug out by people from Gansu and Qinghai provinces (Hong, 1997). This has caused a serious threat to the survival of this species. Effective measures must be taken to conserve this beautiful flower.

In the description of Paeonia lutea var. ludlowii, Stern and Taylor (1951, 1953) indicated that the taxon was distinctly different from the variety lutea, distinguished by its long, commonly unbranched stems to 8 feet (2.4 m) vs. 5 feet (1.5 m) in var. lutea, its larger and more open flowers, with up to 2 carpels that are twice as large as those of var. lutea. These differences have been confirmed upon examination of plants in five populations in Mailing and Nyingchi counties and five populations of var. lutea (= P. delavayi). As shown in Hong (1997), plants of P. ludlowii are tall from a caespitose base, and have relatively large, pure yellow flowers, yellow filaments, acuminate leaf segments and lobes, and typically one carpel per flower (more than 97% of the flowers examined had a single carpel and fewer than 3% had two). Furthermore, P. ludlowii produces very large follicles that contain the largest seeds in the genus. By contrast, plants of P. delavayi are not caespitose and have much shorter stems, acute leaf lobes and segments, smaller flowers, yellow petals that are nearly always red-blotched at the base, purple-red filaments, and three or four, rarely two, much smaller carpels. These differences clearly support the recognition of the variety ludlowii as a distinct taxon and species.

Paeonia ludlowii is a tall shrub that often forms large and dense clumps with dozens of stems. A single individual can have up to 105 flowers (Hong, 1997). All of the five populations studied were small in area, and the largest population was about 200 m in diameter. Except for the Quenima Village population (D. Y. Hang et al. H96020), which had only four individuals, all the populations observed consisted of many rather densely packed individuals, and the species was a dominant element in the community. Two factors may explain the small population areas that contain a large number of individuals. First, this species has a high seed-set, and its seeds appear to have a high germination rate. Nearly 100 seedlings were found in an area of a square meter under a large individual in the Nanyigou population (D. Y. Hang et al. H196030). Second, the seeds of P. ludlowii are large (ca. 1.2 cm diameter) and are not adapted to long-distance dispersal; perhaps they are mostly moved by rats. The species is obligately sexual, and no vegetatively produced individuals or plantlets have been found in any of the populations. More than 20 small plantlets were dug out, and all were found to be seedlings, a sharp contrast to P. delavayi, which reproduces both sexually and vegetatively.

 

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.

Kew Plants of the world lists accepted species and synonyms: here.

Source:
Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, pp. 61-64.

Paeonia delavayi


Shrubs 0.2—1.8 m tall, glabrous throughout. Roots tuberous with tubers up to 8 cm long, 2 cm in diameter. Stems grey, 1.5 cm in diameter, shoots green, sometimes pink, with 5-9 yellow or pink scales at the base, simple but often with sterile branches in axils, occasionally branches developed and flowering. Petioles 10—22 cm long; lower 2 or 3 leaves biternate or ternate—pinnate, ovate in outline, 15—30 cm long (excl. petioles), 10—22 cm wide; leaflets 9, more—or—less decurrent, first divided into 3—11 primary segments; segments divided again mostly to near the base or halfway into 2—11 secondary segments, thus each lower leaf with (17-)40-100(-312) segments; petiolules of middle primary divisions 5-9 cm long, petiolules of lateral primary divisions 1-3 cm long, petiolules of secondary divisions much shorter; segments linear, linear-lanceolate, entire or occasionally lobed, 1.5—10 cm long, 0.5—4.5 cm wide; lobes similar to segments but shorter; segments and lobes acute at the apex. Flowers usually 2—3 on a shoot, terminal and axillary, forming a cyme, less frequently solitary and terminal, occasionally 4, more-or-less pendulous, the terminal one blooming first, the third one from the top second, the fourth from the top the third, whereas the second from the top blooms last; involucrate bracts 1—5, leaf-like, the outer ones 2—4—segmented, green; sepals 2—9 in number, green outside, green but pink at the base inside, or entirely purple or purple-red, rounded or triangular-rounded, mostly caudate, rarely rounded at the apex. 1.3—3.7 cm long, 0.6—2.3 cm wide; petals 4—13, but mostly 7-11 in number, yellow, yellow with a red or purple—red spot at the base, red, dark red, or dark purple—red, sometimes white, orange, green-yellow, or yellow with red margins; stamens 25—160; filaments yellow, pink, red, or dark purple-red; anthers yellow, pink, red, or dark purple-red; disk fleshy, short, annular or short-cylindrical, 1—3 mm high, incised, green, yellowish, yellow, red or dark red; carpels 2-4, very rarely 6-8; ovaries usually green, sometimes purple; stigmas sessile, yellow-green, yellow, red or purple-red; ovules 7—17 per carpel. Follicles oblong—ovoid, 2—4 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide, brown at maturity. Seeds 1—6 in each follicle, brown-black, oblong, c. 10 mm long, c. 8 mm in diameter.

Chromosome number: 2n = 10 (diploid).

Paeonia delavayi was collected at altitudes from 1,900 to 4,000 m, primarily in sparse thickets or dry Pinus and Quercus woods, rarely on grassy slopes or glades of virgin Picea forests. The taxon is endemic to China and restricted to western Sichuan, eastern Xizang (Tibet) and Yunnan.

Plants of Paeonia delavayi are always dwarf shrubs. The tallest plants (ca. 1.8 m) were found in Yunshanping, Lijiang, northwestern Yunnan (D. Y. Hong et al. H97103), where they grew in Picea likiangensis (Franch.) E. Prit. forest at altitudes of c. 3,200 m. By contrast, the shortest plants (rarely reaching 1 m) were found in Ganghaizi, Lijiang (D. Y. Hong et al. H97095), about 20 km SE of the Yunshanping population, growing in dry, sparse Pinus densata—Quercus spinosa forest. Many dwarf individuals had woody parts underground, and only annual shoots emerged above ground. Plants of the other populations that we studied were intermediate between these two.

Although the leaves of Paeonia delavayi are biternate or ternate—pinnate, the leaf segments are quite variable in number, length and width. The number of segments ranged widely from 17 to 312 (Hong et al. 1998), and seemed to differ between populations. For example, segment number varied from 17 to 49 in the population D. Y. Hong et al. H96024 (A, K, MO, PE, US), and from 68 to 312 in the population D. Y. Hong et al. H95063 (A, K, MO, PE, US). However, the standard deviation of the variation in number of leaf segments (Hong et al. 1998) shows that these two populations are just the extremes of a wide range of variation that was also observed within given populations. Taking all the populations into consideration, the number of segments varied continuously in this species. Paeonia potaninii was described as new by Komarov in 1921 because it was considered to have narrower leaf segments than P. delavayi. However, the width of leaf segments also varies greatly, ranging from 0.4 to 2.8 cm within P. delavayi, and from 0.76 to 1.83 cm in the population D. Y. Hong et al. H95070 (PE) from the type locality of P. potaninii. The D. Y. Hong et al. H95070 population falls in the middle of the overall variation ranges for leaf-segment width (Hong et al. 1998) and length in this species. Therefore, it is evident that P. potaninii is similar to P. delavayi in this respect.

Stern (1946) distinguished Paeonia delavayi from its allies by the presence of a conspicuous involucre immediately below the calyx. Across the genus, however, it is difficult to distinguish clearly between involucrate bracts and sepals, and there is also a gradation between leaves and involucrate bracts. We designate the laminae borne some distance below the flowers as leaves, and those at the top of shoots and immediately below the calyx as involucrate bracts. lnvolucrate bracts, so designated, have various forms, ranging from segmented and leaf-like to entire and sepal-like. The sepals have a much broader proximal part and a dark green, smaller and narrower distal part that has a mucronate or rounded apex. The total number of bracts and sepals varies greatly both within and between populations of P. delavayi. The population D. Y. Hong et al. H97103 (A, K, MO, PE, US), with dark red flowers, at Yunshanping, Lijiang, which corresponds to the type locality of P. delavayi (Stern 1946), indeed had the highest number of bracts and sepals (10 or 11) forming the so-called conspicuous involucre, whereas other populations observed by us had fewer bracts and sepals. However, the difference was not significant (Hong et al. 1998). Another population D. Y. Hong et al. H97095 (A, K, MO, PE, US), only about 20 km from H97103, was variable in number of both bracts and sepals, and some flowers had 10 or 11 bracts and sepals (Hong et al. 1998), similar to those in the H97103 population. The same total number of bracts and sepals were found in these populations and in D. Y. Hong et al. H97087 (A, K, MO, PE, US), which had pure yellow or yellow petals with a dark red blotch at the base. Plate 1 in Hong et al (1998) and the remarks above demonstrate clearly that there is a continuous variation in the number of bracts and sepals, and that no correlation exists between petal colour and the total number of bracts and sepals. Therefore, P. delavayi cannot be separated from P. potaninii, P. lutea, P. trollioides and similar names.

Variation in the number and colour of floral parts extends to the sepals, which vary in colour both on a single flower and within populations (Hong et al., 1998). They are usually green, but sometimes dark red or purple (Hong et al., 1998). In addition, the sepals vary greatly in size both within and between populations, and the variation was seen as continuous (Hong et al., 1998). Although population H97103 from Yunnan had larger sepals than other populations, the formation of a conspicuous involucre is not unique in this species as alleged by Stern (1946).

Petal colour has been much emphasised in the taxonomy of the Paeonia delavayi complex, used by various authors (Finet & Gagnepain, 1904; Stern, 1946; Fang, 1958) in distinguishing the yellow corollas in P. lutea from the dark red ones seen in P. delavayi. As shown by Hong and his co-workers (Hong et al. 1998), petal colour is extremely variable between and within populations (Hong et al. 1998). In the populations D. Y. Hong et al. H97112 and H97128 from Xianggelila, Yunnan, various petal colours appeared, and a few individuals in the latter population even had white petals. On the basis of the literature and our own observations, red, dark red or dark purple-red petals occur in the northeastern portion of the distributional range, while yellow petals or yellow petals with a dark red spot at the base were found in the northeast, west, and south. Therefore, petal colour is very variable within a given region or population, showing only a weak geographical differentiation, and is not correlated with other characters. Furthermore, petal colour was extremely variable in populations such as H97112 and H97128, both from northwestern Yunnan.

Unlike the floral disk of the other species of sect. Moutan, the disk in Paeonia delavayi and P. ludlowii is generally short and fleshy. In the populations H97112 and H97119, the disk secreted abundant nectar in some flowers, and it seems likely that this secretion made these flowers more scented. The disk, including the incised teeth, varied in height from 1 to 3 mm, and in colour from pale yellow or yellow to red, even within a single population (e.g. H97112). Therefore, these disk characters are also of little, if any, taxonomic importance in this group.

Paeonia delavayi has the widest geographical range in section Moutan. The plants predominantly reproduce vegetatively, and cloning by stolons (Hong et al., 1998) was commonly seen in every population visited except for the population D. Y. Hong et al. H97103 (A, K, MO, PE, US) in Picea likiangensis forest in Yunshanping, Lijiang, Yunnan. Vegetative reproduction probably predominates in P. delavayi, and seedlings were very rarely found in the field. It was even more predominant at the northwestern and northern boundaries of the distributional range. In Yajiang County, in western Sichuan, the population H95070 was found near a village, where some individuals were growing by fences and on newly stabilised debris. In this population, only about 50% of the follicles were developed and, because of insect damage, only 20% had seeds. Cloning by stolons, however, was common. Additionally, examination in the spring of 1996 of all follicles from the five populations in Xizang (Tibet) produced in 1995 found no seeds. No follicles were observed in a population (from temple ruins in the village of Xituan, Gengzhanglungba Valley, Nyingchi County, Xizang (Tibet)) that consisted of numerous individuals over an area of about 250 m2. This population probably developed from individuals produced by cloning. Clonal growth by stolons was found in every population visited (Hong et al., 1998). The roots of P. delavayi are always fusiformly thickened (Hong et al., 1998). Such roots and stolons probably make the species more adapted to open, somewhat dry and disturbed habitats, and enable the species to establish rapidly forming a new population. It may also account for the scattered distribution of the species and the large number of individuals in any given population. Paeonia delavayi (var. lutea) has been listed as an endangered species in the China Plant Red Data Book (Feng in Fu & Jin, 1992). On the basis of its vegetative reproduction and relatively wide distribution, however, it is reasonable to conclude that this species will not become extinct so long as wanton digging is controlled (Hong et al., 1998, 2003).

 

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.

Kew Plants of the world lists accepted species and synonyms: here.

Source:
Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, pp. 66-71.

P. decomposita and P. rotundiloba are much alike and used to be subspecies within P. decomposita.

Paeonia decomposita


Shrubs to 1.8 m tall, glabrous throughout. Stems up to 2 cm in diameter. Lower leaves mostly triternate-pinnate, ternate-bipinnate, biternate-bipinnate, with 29—65 leaflets; terminal leaflets elliptic to orbicular, 3-partite to the base or 3-fid, terminal lobes 3-lobed; lateral leaflets elliptic to orbicular, 3-lobed or coarsely toothed. Flowers solitary, terminal, 10—15 cm wide. Involucrate bracts 2—5, mostly 2 or 3, unequal, linear-lanceolate. Sepals 3—5, green, broadly obovate, all caudate at the apex. Petals 9—12, rose, obovate, 4-7 cm long, 3—5 cm wide. Disk leathery, enveloping half of carpels at anthesis, white or yellowish, with triangular teeth. Carpels always 5, very rarely 4 or 3, glabrous, green or purple; styles 1—2.5 mm long; stigmas red. Follicles black-brown when mature, ellipsoid. 2-4 cm long, 1.3—1.7cm in diameter. Seeds black, glossy, broadly ellipsoid or globose, 8—10 mm long, 6—8 mm in diameter.

Chromosome number: 2n = 10 (diploid).

Paeonia decomposita was observed to grow in thickets, young secondary forests or sparse coniferous forests with Cotoneaster soongaricus (Regel) Popov, Rosa willmottiae Hemsl., Berberis polyantha Hemsl., and Cupressus chengiana S. Y. Hu, as well as species of Lespedeza, Rhamnus L. and Quercus L., on cliffs and rocks at altitudes firom 2,050 to 3,100 m. This species is confined to the Dadu River Valley of northwestern Sichuan in China.

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.

Kew Plants of the world lists accepted species and synonyms: here.

Source:
Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, pp. 12.

Paeonia rotundiloba


Shrubs up to 2.5 m tall, 3 cm in diameter at the base, glabrous throughout. Stems grey-black. Lower leaves mostly biternate-pinnate or ternate-pinnate, with 19-39 leaflets; leaflets not decurrent; terminal leaflets rhomboid to orbicular, 2.1-5.5 cm long, 1.5-4.8 cm wide, 3—partite to the base or 3-fid, terminal lobes 3—lobed. Flowers solitary, terminal, 10-15 cm broad. Involucrate bracts 2-5, mostly 2 or 3, unequal in size, linear-lanceolate or broad-elliptic, lobed or segmented. Sepals 3-5, green, broadly obovate or nearly orbicular, unequal in size, 1.5-3 cm long, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, all caudate at the apex. Petals obovate or oblong, incised at the apex, 3.5-6.5 cm long, 2-4.6 cm wide. Disk leathery, pale yellow, enveloping carpels nearly to the base of style at anthesis, 8-15 mm high, with triangular teeth. Carpels mostly 3, less often 2 or 4, very rarely 5; styles 1-1.3 mm long; stigma red. Follicles brown or grey—brown when mature, ellipsoid, 2.2-3.5 cm long, 1.2-1.6 cm in diameter. Seeds black, glossy, broadly ellipsoid or nearly globose, 8-10 mm long, 6-8 mm in diameter.

Chromosome number: 2n = 10 (Hong et al., 1988).

Paeonia rotundiloba occurred in well-developed thickets, young secondary forests or sparse Cupressus chengiana forests, often associated with Rosa multibracteata Hemsl. & E. H. Wilson, Cotoneaster soongaricus Popov, Ostryopsis davidiana Decne, Cotinus coggygria Scop., as well as species of Quercus L., Rhamnus L., Ribes L. and Spiraea L., etc. The subspecies was usually found on rocks at altitudes of 1,700—2,700 m. It is restricted to Minjiang Valley of northwestern Sichuan and Tewo County of SE Gansu, China, isolated from Paeonia decomposita by the Qionglai Range, which reaches over 4,000 m in altitude.

This species differs from P. decomposita in having much wider leaflets that are ovate-orbicular, lobes also wider, with terminal ones acute at the apex, and carpels mostly three to four, less frequently two or five in number.

It is worth noting here that Hong’s second book “Polymorphism and diversity” lists P. rotundiloba as a species, whereas in his first “Taxonomy and Phytogeography” it was listed as a subspecies of P. decomposita. This is because he raised the former Paeonia decomposita Hand.-Mazz. subsp. rotundiloba D. Y. Hong to specific status under the name Paeonia rotundiloba (D. Y. Hong) D. Y. Hong. The new species is distinguished from P. decomposita in having carpels mostly 3, less frequently 4 or 2, very occasionally 5 (rather than nearly always 5) and disk 8—15 mm high (rather than 4-9.6 mm high). In addition, there are differences in the number of leaf segments and in the shape of the terminal leaf segment. He regrets that he did not pay enough attention to the former two characters when he prepared the first book.

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.

Kew Plants of the world lists accepted species and synonyms: here.

Source:
Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Polymorphism and diversity.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2011, p. 15.

Paeonia qiui


Shrubs up to 1.2 m tall. Roots up to 2 cm in diameter, cylindrical, attenuate downwards. Stems grey or brown-grey, longitudinally striate. Lower leaves biternate, always with 9 leaflets; leaflets often reddish above, mostly ovate, less frequently ovate—lanceolate or ovate-orbicular, rounded at the base, obtuse or acute at the apex, mostly entire, sometimes terminal leaflets shallowly 3-lobed, 4-12 cm long, 2—8 cm wide, usually glabrous above, densely villose at axils of major veins beneath. Flowers solitary, terminal; involucrate bracts 2-4 in number, leaf-like; sepals mostly 3, rarely 2 or 4 in number, yellow green, acute or caudate at the apex, the inner one the largest, 2,5-3 cm long, 2-2.5 cm wide; petals 5—9 in number, spreading, pink or pale pink, often with a pale red spot at the base, 3.5—5.5 cm long, 2—3.1 cm wide; filaments pale pink to pink; anthers yellow; disk entirely enveloping carpels at anthesis, red—purple, leathery; carpels 5, densely tomentose; stigmas sessile, red, 1.5-2 mm wide. Follicles ellipsoid, densely brown-yellow tomentose, 2—2.8 cm long. Seeds black, glossy, 6-8 mm long, 5-7 mm in diameter.

Chromosome number: 2n = 10 (diploid)

Mostly in deciduous broad-leaved forests, rarely on sunny grassy slopes, on limestone rocks or cliffs, at altitudes of 1,000—2,200 m. Confined to W Henan (Xixia County) and W Hubei (Baokang County and Shennongjia).

To date, Paeonia qiui has been found in only four localities. Three of the four remaining populations were found on cliffs and comprised only a few individuals. It is surely the most endangered species in Paeonia, on the verge of extinction, and therefore effective measures must be undertaken urgently to conserve the species. Prof LI Zhen-Yu informed me recently that he saw this species with certainty in Zhuxi County of Hubei Province.

Paeonia qiui is characterised by having biternate lower leaves consistently with 9 leaflets, which are ovate-lanceolate to broad-ovate, mostly entire and densely villose at the axils of major veins beneath. It has whitish pink or pink petals, often with a pale red blotch at the base. Apparently, P. qiui is most closely related to P. cathayana and P.jishanensis. It sometimes reproduces vegetatively by turions.

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.

Kew Plants of the world lists accepted species and synonyms: here.

Source:
Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Polymorphism and diversity.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2011, p. 91-92.

Paeonia ostii


Shrubs up to 1.5 m tall. Stems brown-grey. Lower leaves ternate-pinnate, with 11—15 leaflets; leaflets lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, mostly entire, terminal leaflets often 2-3-lobed, very occasionally 1-2 lateral leaflets also 2—lobed, rounded at the base, acute to acuminate at the apex, 5—13 cm long, 2.5—6 cm wide, glabrous on both surfaces but sometimes pubescent at the base or the lower part of major veins above. Flowers solitary, terminal, single; involucrate bracts 3—6 in number, green, leaf-like; sepals 4—6 in number, green-yellow, broad-elliptic or ovate-orbicular, 1.5-3.1 cm long, 1.5—2.5 cm wide, shortly caudate or acute at the apex; petals usually 11-14 in number, white, rarely pinkish, obovate, 5.5-8 cm long, 4-6 cm wide, entire or incised at the apex; filaments purple-red; anthers yellow; disk entirely enveloping carpels at anthesis, purple—red, leathery, dentate or lobed at the apex; carpels 5, densely tomentose; stigmas sessile, red. Follicles oblong, densely brown-yellow tomentose. Seeds brown—black, oblong—spherical or spherical, 8—9 mm long, 7-8 mm in diameter.

Chromosome number: 2n=10 (diploid)

In deciduous broad-leaved forests and thickets on slopes at an altitude of 300-1 ,600 m.

Native in Anhui (Chaohu) and W Henan (Lushi County and Xixia County); cultivated in Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Sichuan, and other provinces. This species is widely but sporadically cultivated in China as a traditional medicine.

The distinctive characters of Paeonia ostii are its ternate-pinnate lower leaves, with the leaflets 11-15 in number and ovate, ovate-lanceolate, mostly entire; flowers single and pure white, rarely pale pink; filaments red-purple; disk dark purple and stigmas red.

Paeonia ostii is considered a distinct species, but had been confused with P. suffruticosa subsp. suffruticosa (Pan, 1979). We have compared P. ostii to plants commonly cultivated for mudanpi (a famous Chinese traditional medicine) in Tongling, Anhui Province, the locality in which mudanpi is famously cultivated. They resemble each other very closely, and thus the plant commonly cultivated for mudanpi should be identified as P. ostii. Paeonia ostii is cultivated on a large scale in Tongling, Anhui Province, and to a lesser extent in other provinces such as Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi and Sichuan.

HONG Tao and his co-workers (Hong et al., 1992) stated that the shrub from which the type was collected was introduced from “Songxian, Yangshan, 1,200 m, in thickets on slopes”. We visited Songxian, Mt Yangshan, in Henan Province twice, in 1994 and 1997, and searched extensively for P. ostii in the mountains. We did find the species cultivated in Secaogou Village, but not in the wild. In 1998, however, we found it in Western Henan in Lushi County (D. Y. Hong et al. H98005).

We here designate a neotype for Paeonia ostii, since the original material cited in the protologue (Hong & Zhang, 1992) was not preserved. The protologue stated that it had been preserved in CAF but the keeper of the herbarium could not find it, and was told by HONG Tao that no holotype specimen had been preserved.

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.

Kew Plants of the world lists accepted species and synonyms: here.

Source:
Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Polymorphism and diversity.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2011, p. 84-86.

Paeonia rockii


Shrubs to 1.8 m tall. Roots cylindrical, attenuate downwards. Turions absent. Stems grey or grey—brown, peeling off in flakes. Lower leaves ternate—pinnate, ternate—bipinnate or biternate—pinnate, with 17-33 leaflets; leaflts lanceolate to ovate—lanceolate and mostly entire, or ovate to ovate-orbicular and mostly lobed, 2—11 cm long, 1.5-4.5 cm wide, glabrous above, villose along veins beneath, truncate to cuneate at the base, acute or acuminate at the apex. Flowers solitary, terminal; involucrate bracts 3—4 in number, leaf—like; sepals 4—7 in number, green, ovate-lanceolate, ovate-orbicular or orbicular, all caudate at the apex, 3—4 cm long, 3—4.5 cm wide; petals 8—13 in number, obovate, entire or irregularly incised, white or rarely red, with a large and dark purple blotch at the base, 5-9 cm long, 4—7 cm wide; filaments yellow; anthers yellow; disk entirely enveloping carpels at anthesis, pale yellow, leathery, dentate or lobed at the apex; carpels 5, rarely 6, densely tomentose; styles 0.5-2 mm long, tomentose; stigmas pale yellow. Follicles oblong, densely yellow tomentose, c. 3 cm long.

Chromosome number: 2n=10 (diploid)

In deciduous broad-leaved forests, forest margins or thickets, on shady slopes of limestone areas, at altitudes from 850 to 2,800 m.

Confined to S Gansu, W Henan, W Hubei, S Ningxia, Shaanxi, and N Sichuan.

This species is characterised by having lower leaves ternate-pinnate, biternate-pinnate or ternate—bipinnate; leaflets usually number 19-33, very rarely fewer than 19, the filaments are yellow, with the disk yellowish white and the stigmas yellow, as well as the highly distinctive petals of white, rarely red, with a large dark purple blotch at the base. Thus, this species is clearly distinguished from the remaining four in the Paeonia suffruticosa complex: P. jishanensis, P. ostii, P. qiui and P. cathayana. Its petals are the largest in the whole genus, reaching to 9 x 7 cm in length and width, respectively.

Two allopatric subspecies can be readily recognised by the key couplet below:

1a. Leaflets lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, all or mostly entire: subsp. rockii

1b. Leaflets ovate to ovate-orbicular, all or mostly lobed: subsp. atava

 

Paeonia rockii subsp atava

Chromosome number: 2n=10

Growing in deciduous forests at an altitude of 1,100—1,750 m.

According to our present knowledge, subsp. atava is confined to E Gansu, S Ningxia and Shaanxi on northern slopes of the Qinling Range and further N.

The subspecies is clearly differentiated from the typical one in having the leaflets ovate or ovate-orbicular, mostly or all lobed. In this subspecies, the petals are usually white with a large, dark purple blotch at the base, but in the Longbagou Mountain, Xiashiwan Township (Ganquan County, Shaanxi Province), we found a population (D. Y. Hong, K. Y. Pan & Y. Ren H06003) in which white-flowered and red- flowered individuals coexisted.

Readers may feel surprised when we state that P. rockii subsp. atava (Brühl) D. Y. Hong is confined to a small area in eastern Gansu, southern Ningxia and Shaanxi, as the type was from Yadong, Xizang (Tibet). Hong (1997) explained this clearly. Paeonia rockii subsp. atava is native to the Qinling Range and further north. It is highly possible that Buddhist monks from Mt Taibai in the Qinling Range cultivated this peony. Many individuals of this striking peony are cultivated in front of the Dadian Lamasery on Mt Tabai and distributed to lamaseries elsewhere.

 

Paeonia rockii subsp rockii

Chromosome number: 2n = 10 (diploid)

Usually growing in deciduous forests, usually in limestone areas at an altitude of 850—2,800 m.

Relatively widely distributed in five provinces: SE Gansu, W Henan, W Hubei, S Shaanxi and N Sichuan.

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.

Kew Plants of the world lists accepted species and synonyms: here.

Source:
Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Polymorphism and diversity.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2011, p. 78-79.

Shape of the sepals is probably the easiest characteristic. With a tail or a small tip on top in P. cathayana, whilst this is missing in P. jishanensis.

Paeonia cathayana


Shrubs about 0.8 m tall. Leaves glabrous; lower leaves biternate, with 9 leaflets; terminal leaflets obovate—deltoid, 8—10 cm long, 7-9 cm broad, 3- or 5-cleft to the middle or even beyond, lateral leaflets ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 4-7 cm long, 2-4.5 cm broad, entire or shallowly lobed. Flowers solitary, terminal, single; involucrate bracts 2—6 in number, glabrous; sepals 4—5 in number, all caudate at the apex, 3-3.5 cm long, 2-3 cm broad, glabrous; petals 9 or 10 in number, rose, broadly obovate, rounded at the apex, 5-6 cm long, 4-6 cm broad; filaments purple, anthers yellow; disk entirely enveloping carpels at anthesis, purple; stigmas purple.

Chromosome number: 2n=10.

Native to W Henan (Songxian) and W Hubei (Baokang).

When we (Hong et al., 1998) described Paeonia suffruticosa subsp. yinpingmudan as new, we cited two specimens, one from a cliff in the Yinping Hill, Chaohu, Anhui Province (K. Y. Pan & Z.W Xie 9701) and the other from a cultivated shrub next to Mr YANG Hui-Fang’s house in Secaogou Village, Shigunping, Muzhijie Township, Songxian County, Henan Province (D. Y. Hang, Y. Z. Ye & Y. X. Feng H97010). The former has only one leaf and several white petals, whereas the latter, with rose petals, was introduced from a nearby mountain around 1961, as Mr Yang told us. These two specimens were considered to form a single entity, and possibly a wild form of the cultivated tree peony on the basis of similarity of the leaves, although they had different petal colours. It is regretful that we designated 9701, instead ofH97010, as the type of P. suffruticosa subsp. yinpingmudan, considering that the former came from an individual of wild origin with considerable certainty, but ignoring its incompleteness as a specimen.

Our recent DNA sequencing data do not support this taxonomic treatment. On all the molecular trees of the nuclear GPAT gene, the nuclear gene family Adh1A, Adh1B and Adh2, and cpDNA, K. Y. Pan & Z. W. Xie 9701 and P. ostii formed a clade, whereas H97010 either formed an independent clade or formed a clade with P. qiui (Zhao et al., 2004; Lin et al., 2004; Zhou et al., unpub.).

Haw (2006) strongly argued that Paeonia suffruticosa subsp. yinpingmudan from Anhui is an element of P. ostii, but not the direct progenitor of P. suffruticosa. According to his observation, the peony on the cliff from Yinping Hill in Anhui Province has lower leaves with 11 instead of 9 leaflets. Mr LI Min and Mr MA Xin-Tang made a trip to Yinping Hill in April of 2006 to further observe the peony on the cliff. They collected petals falling down the cliff and took a large number of photos using a telelens. According to their photos, the lower leaves of this tree peony actually have 13 (not nine) leaflets, which are ovate-lanceolate or ovate, and mostly entire (Hong & Pan, 2007). The leaf of the type specimen of P. suffruticosa subsp. yinpingmudan (Pan & Xie 9701, with nine leaflets) (Hong et al., 1998) might be a middle leaf but not a lower one. The flowers of this type specimen are purely white, with purple filaments and disc. Therefore, there are no significant differences between the tree peony on the cliff (Pan & Xie 9701) and the specimens of P. ostii that we have examined to date. The tree peony in Songxian of Henan Province (Hang et al. H97010), however, differs from P. suffruticosa subsp. yinpingmudan in having the lower leaves strictly with nine leaflets, mostly lobed, and rose petals. Therefore, the two collections of tree peonies cited when P. suffruticosa subsp. yinpingmudan was described as new actually belong to two different entities, Pan & Xie 9701 (Anhui) being an element of P. ostii as shown by DNA data and as stated by Haw (2006), whereas Hong at al. H97010 (Henan) might be a real wild form of the cultivated tree peony. Thus, Paeonia suffruticosa subsp. yinpingmudan from Anhui is reduced herein to a synonym of P. ostii, whereas the tree peony from Henan has been described as a new species, P. cathayana (Hong & Pan, 2007).

Mr B. A. Shen’s Paeonia yinpingmudan subsp. henanensis (Shen, 2001) is an illegitimate name because D. Y. Hong and his co-workers never gave the Latin name ‘henanensis’, and neither did Mr Shen designate a type for his name ‘henanensis’. However, from Mr Shen’s short note in Chinese, his ‘henanensis’ is clearly connected with Hong, Ye & Feng H97010.

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.

Kew Plants of the world lists accepted species and synonyms: here.

Source:
Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Polymorphism and diversity.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2011, p. 94-97.

Paeonia jishanensis


Shrubs to 1.8 m tall. Roots attenuate downwards. Turions present. Stems grey or grey—brown. Lower leaves biternate, with 9 leaflets, very occasionally terminal leaflets 3—fid to the base, and thus with 11 or 15 leaflets; leaflets ovate-orbicular or orbicular, 3—cleft, 4-8 cm long, 3-11 cm wide, glabrous above, villose along veins or throughout beneath; segments lobed, segments/lobes acute to rounded at the apex. Flowers solitary and terminal; involucrate bracts 2-4 in number, long-elliptic, unequal in size; sepals 3 or 4 in number, green or yellow-green, broad—ovate, 2.5-5 cm long, 1.8—2.5 cm wide, all rounded at the apex; petals 5-11 in number, white, occasionally pinkish at the base or on margins, obovate, 4.5-7.2 cm long, 4—6 cm wide, irregularly incised at the apex; filaments pink or purple, white above, 8—10 mm long; anthers yellow, linear, 8-10 mm long; disk entirely enveloping carpels at anthesis, red-purple, leathery, dentate at the apex; carpels 5, densely tomentose; stigmas red. Follicles oblong, densely brown-yellow tomentose. Seeds dark brown, nearly spherical, 8-9 mm in diameter.

Chromosome number: 2n=10 (diploid)

In secondary deciduous broad-leaved forests and well-developed thickets at an altitude of 900—1,700 m. Native to N Henan (Jiyuan County), C Shaanxi (Huayin County and Tongchuan City), and SW Shanxi (Jishan and Yongji counties).

According to the protologue, the holotype of Paeonia jishanensis is preserved in CAF. However, when we visited this herbarium and asked HONG Tao for the holotype, we were told that it had not been preserved. Thus, we designate a neotype herein.

Haw (2001) used the specific name Paeonia spontanea (Rehder) T. Hong & W. Z. Zhao (in Hong et al., 1994), while treating P. jishanensis T. Hong & W. Z. Zhao (1992) as its synonym. He cited T. Hong and Zhao’s (1992) statement “P. suffruticosa subsp. spontanea has petaloid stamens, which are an important characteristic developed after domestication of a wild tree peony, so that P. suffruticosa subsp. spontanea should be reduced to the status of a cultivar, ‘spontanea’” (translated by Haw from the original Chinese). After the citation, Haw (2001) noted that “Hong and Zhao included the type of P. suffruticosa subsp. spontanea (i.e. W. Purdon 338) in their concept of the species P.jishanensis”, and concluded that “the name P. jishanensis, typified by Hong Tao 915010, is therefore, superfluous and illegitimate”. We (Hong & Pan, 1999) restored P. jishanensis T. Hong & W. Z. Zhao as a valid specific name. Here, we still argue for its legitimate status. First, although T. Hong and Zhao (1992) did say that P. suffruticosa subsp. spontanea should be reduced as a cultivar, they did not say “in P. jishanensis”. Second, in the same paper, they (T. Hong & Zhao, 1992) stated that “the present species (P. jishanensis) differs from Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews var. spontanea Rehder mainly in having petals white and lacking petaloid stamens.” This statement clearly indicates that P. suffruticosa var. spontanea was not included in the circumscription of P. jishanensis by T. Hong and Zhao (1992). The type of P. jishanensis, Hong Tao 915010, can not be confused with the type of P. suffruticosa var. spontanea, W Purdom 338, as it was selected by Haw (2001). Therefore, P. jishanensis T. Hong & W. Z. Zhao is a legitimate name.

The Paeonia jishanensis group has been treated at three different levels: as the variety P. suffruticosa var. spontanea by Rehder (1920), Stern (1946), Anonymous (1972), and Pan (1979); as the subspecies P. suffruticosa subsp. spontanea by Haw and Lauener (1990); and as an independent species by Hong and Zhao (in Hong et al. 1994). The most distinct morphological character of P. jishanensis is its calyx with three or two sepals, which are all rounded at the apex and rather large, up to 5 cm long. This calyx morphology is unique in sect. Moutan DC. Another distinct feature of this species is vegetative reproduction by turions, and these long scaly shoots produced from underground stem buds can reach over 1 m long. Seeds could scarcely be found. Digging roots of this species for market as danpi, a traditional Chinese medicine, was a serious activity for several years around 1960. The species probably escaped extinction solely because of its reproductive strategy of turions.

Paeonia jishanensis is rarely found in scattered locations in the Zhongtiao Mountains (Yongji County in Shanxi and Jiyuan County in Henan), the Luliang Mountains (Jishan County, Shanxi), the Huashan Mountains (Huayin County, Shaanxi), and Tongchuan and Yan’an (both in Shaanxi). All of these populations, except the one in Yan’an (the type locality of P. suffruticosa var. spontanea Rehder), grow in thickets or secondary deciduous forests at altitudes from 900 to 1,700 m. The population in Yan’an consists of several individuals on the western side of the peony garden behind Zhaojun Temple in Wanhua Shan, and may well be introduced and naturalized there. Because the garden has probably been established for hundreds of years, and no one (including local people) knows its exact history and it is hard to give a definite answer about the history of P. jishanensis in Yan’an. All the populations mentioned above have purely white petals that are occasionally pinkish at the periphery.

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.

Kew Plants of the world lists accepted species and synonyms: here.

Source:
Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Polymorphism and diversity.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2011, p. 87-91.

The sepals are the green coverings protecting the petals. When they are larger, you have the two species from North America. By far most peony species have petals which are larger than the sepals and thus the first category is the most obvious answer if you're in doubt.

Paeonia brownii


Perennials, glabrous throughout except for leaf margins. Roots all slightly fusiform, up to 2.4 cm in diameter, brown—black outside. Caudex (rhizomes) up to 12 cm long, 0.6—1.3 cm in diameter; stems 15-48 cm tall, up to 1 cm in diameter, with 5-7 scales at the base, usually with no branches but sometimes with fertile or sterile branches. Lower leaves biternate with 9 leaflets, petioles 3—7 cm long; each leaflet with several segments, each segments with several final lobes; segments 0.3-2.0 cm wide; final lobes 59—110 in total, oblong or ovate-lanceolate, rounded or acute, sometimes mucronate at the apex, 0.2—1.2 cm wide, margins thickened and recurved, sometimes with bristles. Flowers terminal, solitary or up to 4 on a stem, pendent; involucrate bracts 1-2 in number, leaf-like; sepals 3-5 in number, green or purple or green but purple at the periphery, more-or-less larger than petals, rounded, 1-2.2 cm long, 1.1-2.1 cm wide; petals 7-10 in number, orbicular, red-brown or brown-purple, often yellow at the periphery, entire, 0.8-1.5 cm long, 0.6-0.9 cm wide, incurved and never fully expanded; stamens numerous; filaments pink, anthers yellow; disk fleshy, dentate, 3 mm high; carpels mostly 5, rarely 4, very occasionally 6, 3 or 2 in number; stigmas sessile, 1.5-1.9 mm long, c. 1 mm wide, purple, horizontal. Follicles cylindrical, 2-4 cm long, 1.2-1.9 cm in diameter. Seeds black, oblong, 10-12 mm long, 6-6.5 mm in diameter.

Chromosome number: 2n=10 (diploid)

Usually growing in sparse chaparral, open places in chaparral or woods of Pinus, Picea or Populus, or on grassy slopes. The plants with which it is most frequently associated are Pinus ponderosa, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Calocedrus decurrens, Populus tremuloides, Larix sp., Castanopsis sp., Ceanotus sp. and Artemisia spp. The species mostly occurs in granite soils or on volcanic rocks at altitudes from 600 to 2,600 m. Confined to the USA and distributed in N California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.


Of the two species in sect. Onaepia, Paeonia brownii is distinct with lower leaves having 9 leaflets, carpels mostly 5, less frequently 4 in number, and petals always smaller than sepals. The two species are allopatric.


A good image of the species can be found here.

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.

Source:
Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, pp. 97-98.

Paeonia californica


Perennials totally glabrous. Roots slightly fusiform—thickened, up to 3 cm in diameter. Caudex (rhizomes) up to 8 cm long. Stems 40-70 cm tall, entirely green, up to 1.2 cm in diameter, usually with sterile or fertile branches. Lower leaves ternate, very occasionally nearly biternate; petioles 4-13 cm long; leaflets 3 in number, each leaflet with three or several segments, each segment with two or several lobes, rarely entire, segments and/or lobes totalling 33-78 in number; segments 3-8 cm long, 0.4-2.0 cm wide; lobes linear to lanceolate, usually acute, sometimes mucronate at the apex, 0.2-3.0 cm long, 0.2-1.2 cm wide. Flowers terminal, solitary but usually several, up to 6 in number on a stem, pendent; involucrate bracts usually 1 or 2 in number, leaf-like; sepals 3 or 4 in number, rounded, green or green but purple at the periphery, or purple, 1.2-2.0 cm long, 1.2-2.0 cm wide, as large as or slightly smaller than petals; petals 6-8 in number, entire, purple, dull dark red, dark purple red or brownish purple, 1.2-2.2 cm long, 1.0-2.0 cm wide: stamens numerous; filaments yellow; anthers yellow; disk fleshy, yellow, dentate, teeth variable in shape, 2.5-6 mm high; carpels 3, less frequently 2, occasionally 4, 5 or 6 in number, glabrous; stigmas sessile, 3 mm long, 2 min wide, horizontal. Follicles cylindrical, 2.5-4.2 cm long, 1.1-1.7 cm in diameter. Seeds oblong, black, 10-12 mm long, 5.5-6 mm in diameter.


Chromosome number: 2n = 10 (diploid).


Growing from coastal areas with altitudes of only 30 m to mountain areas with altitudes up to 1,200 m at Corte Madera Ranch, San Diego County. It occurs mostly in chaparral, or openings, or on edges of chaparral and Quercus Woods, with Adenostemma fasciculata, Erodictyon crassifolium, Eriogonum fasciculata, Rhus laurina, Salvia mellifera and Artemisia californica most frequently found as associated plants. It prefers dry granite soils. Confined to the northern-most Baja California of Mexico and to S California, USA.


Paeonia californica is recognised as an independent species by most taxonomists. However, Brewer and Watson (1876), Jepson (1909, 1923) and Munz (1935) treated it as synonymous with P. brownii Douglas ex Hook., Whereas Lynch (1890) reduced it to a variety of P. brownii. Stebbins (1938) clearly documented the distinctness of P. californica from P. brownii, but Halda (1997, 2004) still recognised the former as a subspecies within the latter. We made field observations and carried out population sampling in 2005 in southern California with the assistance of Dr J. Z. Qiu, and in the Blue Mountains guided by Paige Woodward from Canada. We sampled two populations in California and three in Oregon. In addition, we conducted field observation on P. brownii in 1999 in Idaho, guided by Dr jenny Q. Y. Xiao. According to our observations and population samples, the lower leaves of P. californica are always ternate, a unique aspect in the genus, whereas they are always biternate in P. brownii. The carpels number mostly three (27/34, i.e. 80%), less frequently two, occasionally four, five or six in P. californica, but mostly five (29/39, i.e. 74.4%), rarely four, very occasionally six or three in P. brownii. The number of final lobes on the lower leaves ranges from 33 to 78 in P. californica and 59—110 in P. brownii, and these two ranges are statistically discontinuous. Our cluster analysis (the unweighted pair-groups method using arithmetic averages, i.e. UPGMA) shows that these two entities are morphologically distinct and should be better treated as two separate species.


A good image of the species can be found here.


The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.


If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.


Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, pp. 103-105.'

The section albiflorae is characterised by the fact that sepals are caudate, meaning that they have an elongated part at the top, a 'tail'. If your plant has such sepals, it falls in this group. P. anomala and P. sterniana, the only two species within this section with solitary flowers, are also characterised by the fact that these flowers are (slightly) nodding at bloom time, and are thus not perfectly upright on the stems.

The leaf in P. lactiflora has thickenings at the edge, which are uneven. Besides that P. lactiflora has upfacing flowers, whilst all others have somewhat sideways facing flowers.

Paeonia lactiflora


Herbs perennial. Roots thick, cylindrical or carrot—shaped, attenuate toward tip, up to 30 cm long, 2 cm in diameter. Stems up to 1 m tall, glabrous, very occasionally hispid. Lower leaves biternate; terminal leaflets often 2- or 3—segmented; leaflets/leaf segments 10-15, rarely 9 in number, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, cuneate or decurrent at the base, acute at the apex, 4.5—16 cm long, 1.5—6 cm wide, usually with bristles along veins or sometimes glabrous above, glabrous or sparsely pubescent along veins beneath; margins white cartilaginous-thickened, dentate—spinose on the thickenings. Flowers usually 3—4 on a stem, both terminal and axillary, sometimes only the terminal one developed with 2—3 axillary sterile buds, very rarely solitary without sterile flower buds, single (in wild populations) or double (in cultivated plants), 8—13 cm across; involucrate bracts 4 or 5 in number, unequal, leaf-like; sepals 3 or 4 in number, broadly ovate or suborbicular, 1—2 cm long, 1-1.7 cm wide, all caudate at the apex; petals 9-13 in number, white or pink (in wild populations), or various in colour (among cultivated plants), obovate, 3.5—6 cm long, 1.5—4.5 cm wide; filaments yellow; anthers yellow; disk yellow or red, 1—5 mm high, waved or incised; carpels 2-5 in number, green, red or purple, glabrous or rarely sparsely hispid or tomentose, with hairs 1-1.5 mm long; stigmas sessile, red, 1.5—2.5 mm wide. Follicles ovoid or oblong-ellipsoidal, 2.5-3 cm long, 1.2-1.5 cm in diameter. Seeds black, ovoid- spherical, 7 mm long, 6 mm in diameter.


Chromosome number: 2n=10


Growing in bushes and grasslands, but also in open woods, at altitudes from lowlands to 2,300 m, but to 3,400 m in Sichuan Province (Kangding), China. In E Asia: China, the Korea Peninsula, E Mongolia, and Russia (the Far East and SE Siberia).


The most distinct character of Paeonia lactiflora is the cartilaginous thickening along the leaf margins, which are dentate—spinose on these thickenings. Historically, the crossing experiment conducted by Saunders and Stebbins (1938) demonstrated that this species was incompatible with P. anomala, P. Veitchii, P. emodi, and four other species, and thus seemed in a very isolated position. However, our unpublished molecular data (CPAT, Adh1 and Adh2) imply that the species is closely related to P. emodi. In the subsection Albiflorae, P. emodi and P. lactiflora have fewer leaflets/ leaf segments.


Petals and carpels in Paeonia lactiflora are rather variable in colour in wild populations. The former were found varying from pure white, whitish pink to pink, whereas the latter varied from green, pink, red, purple to dark purple even within a single population. We found both glabrous and pubescent carpels within populations, and therefore P. albiflora var. trichocarpa Bunge is here treated as synonymous to P. lactiflora.


This species is widely cultivated for both ornamental and medicinal purposes. Flowers are most often doubled in cultivated varieties of Paeonia lactiflora.


The Peony Society also has a page about this species: here.


If you need more info about paeonia species: here.


This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, pp. 111.'

Paeonia anomala


Perennials. Tap roots up to 1 m long, thickened, carrot—shaped, attenuate downwards, up to 2 cm in diameter, lateral roots also carrot-shaped, neither tuberous nor fusiform. Lower leaves biternate; leaflets often decurrent, finely segmented; lower leaves with leaflets 9 and segments 70—100 in number; segments 2—13 cm long, 0.8—3.2 cm wide, with bristles along veins above, glabrous beneath. Flowers solitary or 2-4 on a stem, often only the terminal one fully developed and blooming; involucrate bracts 1—3 in number, leaf—like; sepals 3-5 in number, mostly caudate at the apex, rarely 1 or very occasionally 2 non—caudate, hispidulous only near the top on the adaxial surface, glabrous, very rarely hispidulous on the abaxial surface; petals rose, pale red or red, but rarely white in subsp. veitchii, 6—9 in number, obovate, entire or incised at the apex, 4—5.5 cm long, 3-4 cm wide; disk waved, c. 1.5 min high; carpels mostly 3 to 5 in number, densely tomentose, rarely sparsely hairy or glabrous; ovules 12—16 in number per carpel; styles absent or less than 0.5 mm long; stigmas red, 2 mm wide. Follicles columnar, 1.5-2.8 cm long, 1—1.2 cm wide. Seeds ovoid or ovoid-spherical, black, 6—7 mm long, 4.5-5 mm wide.


Chromosome number: 2n = 10 (see the subspecies for detail).


Preferring relatively moist habitats, growing in forests, on the edges of forests, or rarely in bushes or meadows. It is found from lowlands to an altitude of 3,870 m. A few collections recorded limestones, granites and sandstones as the media in which this species grows. Widely distributed from China to the Kola Peninsula of Russia via Siberia and Central Asia.


Pallas’s (1788) illustration has only one name, Paeonia sibirica, and apparently he used this illustration also for P. laciniata, because one sees “Paeonia laciniata” on p. 93. Paeonia laciniata was described in detail by Pallas, but no description was given for P. sibirica by him.


Paeonia anomala had been confused with P. intermedia and P. hybrida long before the work of Hong and Pan (2004), who reviewed the taxonomy of this complex and discussed its relationships in detail on the basis of field observations and examination of the types of these three taxa and a large quantity of specimens. Since the work of Sims (1815), all authors described the root of P. anomala as tuberous (or fusiform), e.g. Anderson (1818), Schipczinsky (1937), Gamaulova (1961), or gave no description of its roots, e.g. de Candolle (1818), Lynch (1890) and Stern (1946). Actually, P. hybrida is a synonym of P. tenuifolia, as in Anderson’s treatment (1818). According to our observations in the Altai, the populations that had the majority of sepals caudate at the apex always had carrot—shaped roots, whereas those with more sepals rounded (non-caudate) at the apex always had tuberous roots. The examination of specimens from Siberia and Mongolia shows that they consistently had the majority of sepals caudate at the apex and carrot-shaped roots. The type of P. anomala L. is from Siberia, and the two sepals visible on the sheet are both caudate at the apex. Most specimens examined from western and southern parts of the Altai westward to Uzbekistan had tuberous roots, if roots were collected, and most sepals were non-caudate. The type of P. intermedia C. A. Mey., which was collected from the Altai, has tuberous roots. It is clear that P. anomala has carrot-shaped roots, which are correlated with caudate sepals, whereas P. intermedia has tuberous roots, which are correlated with non-caudate sepals.


Saunders and Stebbins (1938) made crosses between P. anomala and P. veitchii, P. anomala and P. beresowskii, P. anomala and P. woodwardii, P. veitchii and P. beresowskii, P. veitchii and P. woodwardii, and P. beresowskii and P. woodwardii. All of these species pairs were easily crossed and the hybrids were fertile, similar to crosses between individuals of the same subspecies. This is consistent with the conclusion we reached on the basis of external morphology: these four taxa fall within the same species.


Paeonia anomala has two allopatric subspecies, with the typical subspecies distributed northwest of the Gobi, whereas the subspecies veitchii is in China southeast of the Gobi.


 

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This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, pp. 125-127.'

Paeonia veitchii


Herbs perennial. Tap roots up to 60 cm long, thickened, carrot-shaped, attenuate downwards, up to 2 cm in diameter, lateral roots, if present, also carrot-shaped, neither tuberous, nor fusiform. Stems single or 2 -3-caespitose, simple, mostly 25 – 59 cm, rarely up to 70 cm tall. Lower leaves biternate, with leaflets 9 and segments 70 – 100 in number; leaflets often decurrent, finely segmented; segments 1.5 – 10 cm long, 0.3 – 2 cm wide, with bristles along veins above, glabrous beneath. Flowers usually 2 – 4 on a stem, forming a cyme, less frequently solitary but with one or two undeveloped flower buds, rarely simply solitary; involucrate bracts 1 – 3 in number, leaf-like; sepals 3 – 5 in number, mostly caudate at apex, rarely one or occasionally two non-caudate, glabrous, very rarely hispidulous on abaxial surface; petals rose, pale red, red, less frequently white, 6 – 9 in number, obovate, entire or incised at apex, 4 – 5 cm long, 3 – 4 cm wide; disk waved, ca. 1.5 mm high; carpels mostly 3 or 2, rarely 4 or 1 in number, densely tomentose, rarely sparsely hairy or glabrous; ovules 12 – 16 in number per carpel; styles absent or less than 0.5 mm long; stigmas red, 2 mm wide. Follicles columnar, 1.5 – 3 cm long, 1 – 1.5 cm wide. Seeds ovoid or ovoid-spherical, black 6 – 7 mm long, 4 – 5 mm wide.

Phenology. Flowering from late April to early June; fruiting in August and September.

Chromosome number. 2n=10 (diploid)

Habitats and distribution. Relatively moist places : forests, edges of forests, rarely in bushes or meadows; from 1,800 to 3,870 m alt. A few collections recorded from the localities with limestones, granites and sandstones as the medium. Widely distributed in China: SE & C Gansu, E. Qinghai, S Ningxia, Shaanxi (Qinling Range), Shanxi, W Sichuan, Tibet (Eastern extreme) and NE Yunnan.

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This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the world. Part III: Phylogeny and evolution.” Kew Publishing: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 2021, pp. 227-228

Paeonia emodi


Perennials. Roots carrot-shaped, up to 2.5 cm in diameter. Caudex short, not elongated. Scales at the base of stems 5—8 in number, purple—red. Stems up to 60 cm tall, green. Lower leaves biternate, with some or all of 9 leaflets segmented; leaflets/leaf segments 15—27 in number, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 7—14 cm long, 1.5—3.8 cm broad, glabrous or with sparse bristles along veins above, always glabrous beneath, some segments lobed, lobes acuminate at the apex. Flowers mostly 2—3, terminal and axillary at axils of the upper leaves, rarely solitary and terminal; involucrate bracts 3-4 in number, leaf-like; sepals 3-4 in number, green, ovate-orbicular to orbicular, all caudate at the apex, 1.2-2.0 cm long (tailed part excluded), 1-2 cm broad; petals white, 8—10 in number, obovate, often bilobate, c. 4 cm long, c. 3 cm broad; filaments yellow; anthers yellow; disk pale pink, waved; carpels single, occasionally 2, green, tomentose with hairs 1—2 mm long, less frequently glabrous; styles absent or up to 1 mm long; stigmas pink, 1 min wide. Follicles long—ovoid or ellipsoid, 2-3.5 cm long, 1.2—1.5 cm in diameter. Seeds brown—black, oblong, 7-9 mm long, 3.5-6 mm in diameter.

Chromosome number: Diploid with 2n = 10 and tetraploid with 2n=20 (in Xizang (Tibet))

Growing in bushes on dry or rocky slopes at altitudes from 1600 to 3,200 m. The western Himalayas and northeastern part of the Hindu Kush: China (SW Xizang (Tibet) and S Xinjiang), NW India, W Nepal, N Pakistan and E Afghanistan (Nuristan, Chetras) .

Hooker & Thomson (1875) described a form of Paeonia emodi with glabrous carpels as the variety glabrata. All six flower specimens that I examined in the Herbarium of Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (E) have tomentose carpels and follicles. However, in other collections at the Conservatoire et jardin botaniques de la Ville de Geneve (G), the carpels and follicles of seven flowers (from five specimens) are tomentose; whereas those of four flowers are glabrous. Falconer 77 from Kashmir (P) has two individuals (stems) that are alike; their carpels are both single, but one is glabrous whereas the other is tomentose. According to Miss J. Coote’s field observation in Kashmir, the form with tomentose carpels and that with glabrous carpels “grew together and they were exactly alike in height, appearance and mode of growth”. It seems to us that pubescent or glabrous carpels reflect another example of polymorphism in carpel character for Paeonia emodi.

Paeonia emodi most resembles P. anomala, P. sterniana and P. lactiflora, but it differs from all of these species in having the carpels mostly single (92.6%), rarely two (7.4%). In addition, it is different from P. lactiflora in having leaf margin smooth (rather than cartilaginous thickened and dentate-spinose) and the carpels mostly tomentose (88%; rather than usually glabrous). Paeonia emodi differs from P. anomala in having the leaflets/leaf segments no more than 30 in number (as opposed to 70 to 100), and from P. sterniana in having nearly always multiple flowers per stem (rather than nearly always solitary) and the carpels mostly tomentose (rather than always glabrous).

Saunders and Stebbins (1938) crossed Paeonia anomala and P. emodi, obtaining a very low seed set and sterile hybrids. This supported their observation that the two species are not only morphologically distinct but also reproductively isolated.

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This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 118-120

Paeonia sterniana


Perennials, 35-60 cm tall, glabrous throughout. Roots carrot—shaped, tap roots up to 2 cm in diameter, more than 30 cm long. Caudex short, not elongated, multi—branched, and thus many stems caespitose. Scales at the base of stems 6-9 in number, pink. Lower leaves biternate; leaflets 9, the terminal three often more-or-less decurrent; all leaflets segmented; leaflets/leaf segments 20-30 in number, 4-12 cm long, 1.5-3 cm wide, often lobed; lobes acuminate at the apex. Flowers solitary, terminal, but one or two axillary undeveloped (sterile) buds often present, rarely 2 on a stem; involucrate bracts 2-4 in number, leaf—like; sepals mostly 3, rarely 4 in number, nearly rounded, all or mostly caudate at the apex, green or purple, 1-2.3 cm long, 0.8-2 cm wide; petals white to pale rose, obovate, 2.5-3 cm long. 1.5-2 cm wide; filaments yellow; anthers yellow; disk less than 1 mm high, waved, green—yellow; carpels mostly 2, less frequently 3, rarely 4 in number, green; styles less than 1 mm long, stigmas red, 1.2 mm wide. Follicles ovoid, c. 3 cm long. Seeds ovoid—oblong, black, lucid, 7-8 mm long, 5 mm in diameter.

Chromosome number: 2n = 10 (diploid).

Growing in forests or thickets at a high altitude of 2,830—3,500 m. Confined to SE Xizang (Tibet), China.

Paeonia sterniana is closely related to P. emodi. They share a number of characters: the roots carrot-shaped; sepals all or mostly caudate at the apex; leaflets mostly or all segmented; petals white; and plants entirely glabrous except for the carpels, which are mostly pubescent in P. emodi but glabrous in P. sterniana. Nevertheless, these two species distinctly differ from each other. Paeonia emodi often has two or three flowers on a stem, whereas P. sterniana nearly always has a single flower (occasionally two) and sometimes one or two axillary sterile buds on a stem. The carpels are single (93%), rarely two (7%) per flower, and nearly always tomentose in P. emodi, whereas there are two to four, always glabrous carpels in P. sterniana. Therefore, Halda’s (2004) treatment of P. sterniana as a subspecies in P. emodi cannot be justified.

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This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, pp. 122-124

The root shape is the main characteristic, with them being either carrot shaped (gradually becoming smaller from the crown onwards) or fusiform (the roots are attached to the crown first by a thinner part). It's a very easy characteristic, but of course only visible if you dig the plant. If you don't know the root shape, then have a look at the other characteristics, the second most defining one is the number of leaflets/leaf segments. Count the leaflets or leaf segments (if they are 'toothed' you have several segments) on the lowest (and thus largest) leaf which is attached to the stem.

Paeonia officinalis and P. arietina are very close to one another. Especially the easternmost (Eastern part of Turkey) plants of P. arietina, which have more leaflets being also less wide are very alike. The only visible difference there would be the indumentum on the sepals, which is more pronounced in P. arietina.

Paeonia officinalis


Perennials. Roots tuberous-thickened. Caudex short, less than 10 cm long. Stems mostly hirsute, green or purple—red, 25—80 cm tall. Lower leaves biternate, with 9 leaflets; petioles 6-12 cm long, mostly hirsute; petiolules 1-6 cm long, mostly hirsute; leaflets usually segmented; leaflets/leaf segments 11-130 in number, linear-elliptic to elliptic, or oblanceolate, cuneate at the base, acuminate or acute at the apex, lobed or entire, 3—12 cm long, 1-4.5 cm wide, glabrous above, villose, rarely glabrous beneath. Flowers solitary, terminal; involucrate bracts 1—2 in number, leaf-like, relatively distinct from sepals; sepals 3—5 in number, deltoid-orbicular to orbicular, 1-2.5 cm long, 0.8-2 cm wide, mostly rounded at the apex, hispidulous or glabrous on the abaxial side; petals 5—8 in number, pale violet-red or purple-red; filaments purple; anthers yellow; disk up to 1 mm high, flat or waved, red; carpels 1—5, mostly 2—3, in number, tomentose or glabrous, hairs 1.5-2 mm long, yellow, brown or pink; stigmas sessile, red, c. 1.5 mm wide. Follicles long—ovoid when young.

Chromosome number: 2n = 20 (see each subspecies for additional information).

Widely distributed from the Iberian Peninsula to the Balkans via France, Italy and Switzerland.

Paeonia officinalis is the typical species of the genus Paeonia, but its circumscription was not clear and it was confused both with P. peregrina (de Candolle, 1818, 1824; Baker, 1884; Lynch, 1890; Huth, 1891), until the work of Stapf (1918), and with P. mascula (e.g. Fiori, 1898). The species is extremely variable because of great variation in natural populations and extensive cultivation, as demonstrated by the more than 20 specific and many infraspecific synonyms included here. For example, the entity in the Iberian Peninsula and SW France has leaflets/leaf segments numbering more than 50, which are mostly lobed, whereas that in the Balkans has no more than 24 leaflets/leaf segments, which are mostly entire. In the Iberian Peninsula and SW France, the great majority of carpels are glabrous (over 90%), whereas they are totally tomentose in all the other populations. However, the peony here circumscripted cannot be clearly split, and all the differences, even the clear ones mentioned above, are bridged by intermediate forms. Paeonia officinalis is morphologically polytypical with its types closely correlated with geography.

Five types could be recognised and are treated here as five subspecies.

1a. Carpels glabrous, occasionally sparsely hirsute; sepals mostly glabrous; leaflets/leaf segments usually obtuse at the apex, often lobed; stems mostly glabrous: subsp. microcarpa

1b. Carpels tomentose; sepals usually pubescent; leaflets/leaf segments usually acuminate at apex, entire, rarely lobed; stems hirsute or glabrous.

2a. Leaflets/leaf segments 11—24 in number, 2—4.5 cm wide, glabrous or sparsely villose beneath; sepals glabrous or sparsely pubescent: subsp. banatica

2b. Leaflets/leaf segments 19—130 in number, 1—3 cm wide, always villose beneath; sepals always pubescent.

3a. Leaflets/leaf segments 35-130 in number, always with some lobed, 1—2 cm wide: subsp. huthii

3b. Leaflets/leaf segments 19-45 in number, all entire or occasionally very few lobed, 1-3 cm wide.

4a. Leaves villose-floccose beneath, hairs flattened at base: subsp. italica

4b. Leaves hairy but never villose-floccose beneath, hairs cylindrical: subsp. officinalis

Paeonia officinalis subsp microcarpa

Chromosome number: 2n = 20 (tetraploid)

Growing in pine woods or in thickets in limestone areas at altitudes from 400 to 2,050 m. Distributed in Portugal, Spain and SW France.

Paeonia officinalis subsp. microcarpa is rather distinct from the other four subspecies of P. officinalis in having carpels glabrous, or very rarely hirsute. Among 89 flowers examined, only 6 have carpels that are sparsely hirsute and one has moderately hirsute carpels; by contrast carpels in the other four subspecies are all tomentose. Sepals are usually glabrous or sparsely hairy in this subspecies, also contrasting with the others. In addition, the leaflets/leaf segments in this subspecies are generally more numerous than those in the other four subspecies and are often lobed. Seeds ellipsoid, black, 7-8 mm long, 5-6 mm wide.

Paeonia officinalis subsp banatica

Chromosome number: 2n = 20

In thickets or sparse woods of sand soil at altitudes below 1,000 m. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary (S), Romania (SW), and Serbia.

Paeonia officinalis subsp. banatica is rather distinct from the typical one. It has fewer leaflets/leaf segments, mostly 13-18, rarely down to 11 and up to 24, compared to subsp. officinalis with mostly more than 25. The leaflets/leaf segments in this subspecies are wider than those in the other subspecies (2—4.5 rather than 1—3 cm); they are also less densely villose or even glabrous beneath. Sepals are hispidulous or glabrous in this subspecies, Whereas they are always pubescent in subsp. officinalis, subsp. italica, and subsp. huthii.

Seeds ellipsoid, black, 7—8 mm long, c. 5 mm in diameter.

The roots in this subspecies are always tuberous, and sometimes tandom-tuberous, rather long, running horizontally and vertically. Therefore, Rochel’s (1828) figure of the root is wrong, whereas Reichenbach’s (1840) figure of the root is correct. New shoots were found rising from tubers in our field observation at Deliblat in the Banat Region of Serbia in 2003, and thus this subspecies may be vegetatively reproductive to some extent.

Paeonia officinalis subsp huthii

Chromosome number: 2n = 20 (tetraploid)

Growing in sparse Quercus, Fagus or Quercus—Fagus forests or in pastures with sparse Pinus sylvestris trees, in limestone areas, at altitudes from 900 to 1,970 m. A relatively narrowly distributed entity found in NW Italy (Imperia Prov.), and SE and S France. In S France (Herault and le Vigan) the entity meets subsp. microcarpa.

Paeonia officinalis subsp italica

Chromosome number: 2n=20 (tetraploid).

Growing in open communities at an altitude of 650—1,800 m. Confined to central Italy, Croatia and N Albania.

Paeonia officinalis subsp officinalis

Chromosome number: 2n = 20

In sparse pine or oak woods, thickets, or mountain meadows in limestone areas at an altitude of 500—2,000 m. Croatia, N Italy, Slovenia and S Switzerland; relatively common in N Italy.

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This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 230

The differences are very small and mostly related to the colour of the petals. White to pale pink for Paeonia arietina ssp arasicola (not yet officially acknowledged). Pink to red for P. arietina (ssp arietina). And dark red for P. parnassica.

Paeonia arietina


Perennials. Tap roots columnar, lateral roots always tuberous, sometimes tubers beaded. Stems 30-70 cm tall, green, usually entirely hirsute, rarely hirsute only above, with 4-7, rarely up to 15, yellowish green or purplish scales at the base. Lower leaves biternate; leaflets decurrent, usually with some segmented or shallowly dividid; leaflets/leaf segments most frequently 13-23, rarely down to 11 and up to 32 in number; petioles and petiolules densely hirsute; blades elliptic, oblong or ovate—lanceolate, cuneate at the base, acute at the apex. 5-12 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, glabrous or villose along major veins above, but mostly densely, very rarely sparsely villose beneath. Flowers solitary and terminal; involucrate bracts 1-3 in number, leaf-like; sepals 3—5 in number, unequal in size, all rounded at the apex, villose outside, green but purple at the periphery; petals 6-9d in number, rose or red, obovate, entire or rarely deeply lobed; filaments purple, anthers yellow; disk waved, glabrous but sometimes hirsute; carpels 2 or 3, less frequently 4 or 5, occasionally 1 in number, yellow tomentose, hairs 2.5 mm long; styles very short or absent; stigmas red, c. 1 mm wide. Follicles 2-3 cm long.

Copyright: Ömer Faruk Gülşen –
Paeonia arietina in Turkey, MUŞ.

Chromosome number: 2n=20 (tetraploid)

Growing usually in sparse oak or coniferous Woods, or in clearings of forests, also in pastures, on limestones but also granites, with a wide range of altitudes from 300 m in Emilia of Italy to 2,100 m in Kutahya Province of Turkey. Distributed in Turkey, Romania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Croatia and Italy (Emilia) from the east to the west.

Although Sabine’s taxon has epithet “cretica”, his plant was not from Crete. Stern provides a clear explanation.

The taxonomic treatment of Paeonia arietina G. Anderson (= P. mascula subsp. arietina (G. Anderson) Cullen & Heywood) has been controversial. Paeonia arietina was described first by Anderson, who clearly indicated that his new species was characterised by tuberous roots, pilose stems and petioles, leaflets that are decurrent and glaucous-pilose beneath, and sepals that are pilose at the base. Two varieties were recognised by Anderson in this species: var. andersonii and var. oxoniensis. He described the first from a garden in England and presumed it to be a native of the Levant (near Istanbul, Turkey), and the second from the Oxford Botanic Garden, wrongly considering it a native of Crete following Mr Clusius. De Candolle recognised P. arietina and considered it to be from “Oriente”. Lynch completely followed Anderson, enumerating the two varieties and considering them originally from the Levant and Crete, respectively.
Stern not only recognised Paeonia arietina but also was the first author to indicate its distribution by quoting herbarium specimens. The specimens cited by Stern mostly match Anderson’s protologue very well, e.g. those from Turkey (Anatolia and Amienia), Bosnia and Italy (Emilia).

Cullen and Heywood reduced Paeonia arietina G. Anderson to P. mascula subsp. arietina (G. Anderson) Cullen & Heywood. They ignored Stern’s article, and thus continued to include Crete in the distribution range of this entity. Their treatment was followed by Davis and Cullen, Akeroyd, and Halda. Which treatment is natural? That is to say, is P. arietina an independent species or just a subspecies within P. mascula? In the molecular phylogenies of Paeonia sect. Paeonia produced by Sang and his co-workers, P. arietina, P. parnassica and P. officinalis (including P. humilis = P. officinalis subsp. microcarpa) could not be distinguished from each other on the matK and psbA-trnH trees. Nevertheless, these three species are differentiated clearly from P. mascula subsp. mascula and P. mascula subsp. hellenica on all of these trees. On the basis of ITS sequences for sect. Paeonia, P. arietina, P. parnassica and P. officinalis (including P. humilis) form a group, within which they are indistinguishable from each other, whereas P. mascula subsp. mascula and subsp. hellenica form another group with P. coriacea, P. broteri, P. clusii (including P. rhodia), P. mlokosewitschii (= P. daurica subsp. mlokosewitschii) etc.. The phylogeny of sect. Paeonia reconstructed from a synthesis of the ITS and matK phylogenies indicates that P. arietina, P. parnassica and P. officinalis (including P. humilis) form a group, which is divergent from another group comprising P. mascula (including two subspecies, subsp. mascula and subsp. hellenica, P. coriacea, P. clusii (including P. rhodia) and P. mlokosewitschii. Therefore, molecular phylogeny shows that the P. arietina—P. parnassica group is more closely related to P. officinalis than to P. mascula. Our Adhl and Adhz gene trees also demonstrate that the P. arietina—P. parnassica group form a clade that is separated from the P. mascula clade.

According to our observations, there are distinct differences between the Paeonia mascula group on one side and the P. arietina—P. parnassica group together with the P. officinalis group on the other. In the P. mascula group, the roots are always carrot-shaped, whereas they are tuberous, sometimes even tandem-tuberous, in all populations observed in the P. arietina—P. parnassica and P. officinalis groups. Root shape, whether tuberous or carrot-shaped, has been ignored by nearly all previous authors working on the genus Paeonia, but is a very stable character and thus of great significance in taxonomy. All the individuals observed in the P. arietina—P. parnassica group have hirsute stems, petioles and sepals, whereas these parts are always glabrous in the P. mascula group. These two groups also differ in the indumentum on the lower surface of leaves. Leaves are mostly glabrous, less frequently sparsely hispid beneath in the P. mascula group, but mostly rather densely, very rarely sparsely, villose beneath in the P. arietina—P. parnassica and P. officinalis groups. There are further differences in the shape and size of leaflets/leaf segments. Those in the P. mascula group are obovate, broad-ovate or broad-elliptic, 6-15 cm long, 4-9 cm wide, whereas those in the other two groups are elliptic, ovate-lanceolate or oblong, 5-12 cm long, 1.5—6 cm wide. Therefore, the closest relative of P. arietina—P. parnassica is the P. officinalis group, not P. mascula as in the treatments of Cullen and Heywood, Akeroyd, Davis and Cullen, and Halda.

Paeonia arietina, P. parnassica, P. officinalis and P. banatica are similar to each other in morphology. They share a number of characters: roots tuberous, leaflets mostly segmented, stems, petioles, lower leaf surfaces and sepals nearly always hairy, and chromosome number 2n = 20 (tetraploid). According to our observations, P. arietina and P. parnassica are more similar to each other than to the P. officinalis — P. banatica group. Generally in the P. arietina—P. parnassica group, stems and petioles are always rather densely hirsute, and leaflets/leaf segments are oblong, ovate-lanceolate, or rarely elliptic. By contrast, in the P. officinalis—P. banatica group, stems and petioles are sparsely hirsute or glabrous, and leaflets/leaf segments are ovate-lanceolate, elliptic or linear-elliptic. The most distinct difference between these two groups is perhaps in the indumentum on the abaxial side of the sepals, which is densely villose in the P. arietina—P. parnassica group but densely to sparsely hispidulous or even glabrous in the other group. Within the P. arietina—P. parnassica group, P. arietina has a greater number of leaflets or segments, rose to red petals, and yellow anthers, whereas P. parnassica has dark purple petals and purple anthers.

Remark from the editor: In Turkey, Bursa province, a white flowered variant of this species exists, as yet not well described nor published: Paeona arietina ssp arasicola. We have decided to describe this variant as a subspecies of Paeonia arietina due to the different petal color and geographic distance. Hence the original Paeonia arietina described by Hong also becomes a subspecies Paeonia arietina ssp arietina.

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This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 230

Paeonia parnassica


Perennial herbs. Tap roots columnar; lateral roots tuberous or fusiform, sometimes tandem-fusiform. Stems usually green or green but pale purple in the lower part, sparsely to densely hirsute, 30-70 cm tall, with 4-9 green or greenish yellow scales at the base. Petioles and petiolules always hirsute; lower leaves biternate, with 9, rarely 8, leaflets, usually one or several leaflets segmented and thus leaflets/leaf segments 9-15, very rarely up to 25 in number, ovate, oblong or elliptic, cuneate to rounded at the base, nearly rounded to acute at the apex, 4.5—12 cm long, 1.5-7 cm wide, glabrous above, mostly densely, less frequently sparsely, villose beneath. Flowers solitary and terminal; involucrate bracts 1-3 in number, leaf-like; sepals 3-4 in number, with one caudate and the rest rounded at the apex, nearly orbicular, 2-4 cm long, 1.5-3.5 cm wide, green but purple at the periphery or entirely purple, densely villose on the abaxial side; petals 6-8 in number, dark purple, oblong or obovate, entire or 2—lobed at the apex, 4.5-6 cm long, 3-4.5 cm wide; filaments purple; anthers purple; disk 1-1.5 mm high, waved, tomentose; carpels 1-3, but mostly 2 in number, columnar-ellipsoid, 1.4-2.2 cm long, 0.5-0.7 cm in diameter, yellowish tomentose, hairs 2 mm long; stigmas sessile, red, c. 2 mm wide.

Chromosome number: n=20 (tetraploid).

Growing at the edges and in openings of Abies forests, or in sparse Abies forests, on limestones, at an altitude of 1,100—1,500 m. Found only in the mountains Parnassos and Elikonas (Helicon) of Greece.

The most remarkable characters of Paeonia parnassica are its very dark purple petals and purple anthers, which distinguish it from P. arietina. It has fewer leaflets/leaf segments (9—15, rarely up to 25) than P. arietina (11-25, rarely up to 32).

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This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 221-225.

Paeonia peregrina


Perennials. Lateral roots fusiform or tuberous. Stems 30-70 cm tall, glabrous. Lower leaves biternate; petioles 20 cm long, petiolules 3.5—10 cm long; leaflets nearly all or all segmented, leaflets/leaf segments 17-45 in number, lanceolate, oblanceolate, or broad—linear, 3.5—11 cm long, 1.6-3.8 cm wide, always lobed, with 2-5 obtuse to acute lobes, often with bristles along veins above, slightly glaucous, glabrous or very occasionally sparsely pubescent beneath. Flowers solitary and terminal; involucrate bracts usually 2 or 3, less frequently 1 or 4 in number, leaf—like; sepals 3-5 in number, green or green but purple at the periphery, mostly rounded at the apex, 2-3.5 cm long, 2-3 cm wide; corolla red or dark red, cup-shaped, petals 7-10 in number, obovate, entire or incised at the apex, 4-5 cm long, 2.5-3 cm wide; filaments yellow or red; disk c. 1 mm high, waved, white; carpels mostly 2 or 3, rarely 1 or 4 in number, tomentose, hairs c. 2.5 mm long; stigmas sessile, yellow, 1.8-3.3 mm wide. Follicles 3.5 cm long. Seeds ovoid—oblong, black, lucid, 8-10 mm long, 5-6 mm wide.

Chromosome number: 2n=20 (Dark, 1936; Langlet, 1927; Stern, 1944; Sushnik & Lovka, 1973; Tzanoudakis, 1977, 1983; Uspenskaya & Solovyeva, 1991; the present work with the voucher: Turkey, Ankara Prov., D. Y. Hang et al., H02201 (A, BM, CAS, K, MO,PE)). However, Sopova (1971) reports both 2n = 10 and 2n = 20 from Macedonia.

Growing mostly in deciduous broad-leaved forests, pine forests or mixed forests, less frequently in grasses. The species prefers calcarious soils and is found usually at altitudes from 50 to 1,500 m. Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy (Mt San Donato di Ninea), Macedonia, Moldova (Uspenskaya & Solovyeva, 1991; Krupkina, 1996), Romania, Serbia and Turkey.

The most distinct character of Paeonia peregrina is its always teeth-lobed leaflets or segments, which distinguish it readily from P. officinalis and P. saueri D. Y. Hong, X. Q. Wang & D. M. Zhang. The other distinct characters are tuberous or fusiform lateral roots, leaflets or segments often with bristles along veins on the upper surface, and dark-red and cup-shaped corollas.

The identity of Paeonia peregrina Mill. had been problematic for a century and a half since its description as new. Miller (1768) described this taxon rather clearly as “foliis difformiter lobatis, lobis incises”, “with a deep red flower” and “growing naturally in the Levant (ca. 15 km N of Istanbul)”. However, later authors failed to follow Miller’s description. Sims (1807) followed the locality of P. peregrina, the Levant, but not the characters, and his “P. peregrina” is actually a new species, described as P. arietina by Anderson (1818). Anderson (1818) stated: “P. peregrina, de Candolle informs us, is a native of the mountains of Provence and Languedoc, chiefly near Montpellier…..” and he also cited “Bot. Mag. 1050”, which actually refers to P. arietina. Furthermore, he described the peony from Constantinople (Istanbul) as a new species, P. decora (Anderson, 1818). It is clear, therefore, that Anderson (1818) treated P. officinalis subsp. huthii from S France as P. peregrina, while describing the real P. peregrina as P. decora. Unfortunately, de Candolle (1818, 1824), Baker (1884), Lynch (1890), and Huth (1891) all followed Anderson (1818). It was Stapf (1918) who clarified the persisting confusion and correctly illustrated P. peregrina for the first time.

Paeonia tartarica Mill. (1768) was described by Stern (1946) as being “non satis nota”, and thus no taxonomical treatment was given by him or by succeeding authors. However, Miller’s description is clear, “The seeds…from the Levant (N of Istanbul)”, “The roots…oblong fleshy tubers or knobs…leaves composed of several lobes, which are irregular in shape and size, some of them having but six, and others have eight or ten spear-shaped lobe…”. This description fits P. peregrina Mill. well and better than any other species.

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.


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This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 215-216.

Paeonia saueri


Perennials. Lateral roots tuberous, tubers fusiform. Stems 45—65 cm tall, green, rarely purple, glabrous. Lower leaves biternate, with some leaflets segmented, leaflets/leaf segments 19—45 in number, all entire or very few lobed, elliptic or narrow—elliptic, cuneate at the base, acute at the apex, 3.3—11 cm long, 1.0—4.2 cm wide, with bristles along veins above, sparsely hispidulous, very occasionally glabrous beneath. Flowers solitary and terminal; involucrate bracts 2-3 in number, leaf—like; sepals 3—5, rarely 6 in number, glabrous, all rounded but sometimes one caudate at the apex, 2.5-3.0 cm long, 2.0—2.5 cm wide; petals 7—10 in number, red, obovate, cuneate at the base, rounded or variously incised at the apex, 5.0-5.5 cm long, 3.2—4.0 cm wide; filaments dark—purple; anthers yellow; disk fleshy, slightly waved or incised, c. 1 mm high; carpels mostly 2—3, less frequently 4, very rarely 1, 5 or 6 in number, whitish tomentose; stigmas sessile, red, about 2 mm wide; ovules 14~20 per carpel. Young follicles ovoid, 2.8—3.0 cm long, 1.9 cm in diameter.

Paeonia saueri in Pella, Northern Greece – Copyright Stefan Hertel

Chromosome number: 2n = 20 (tetraploid)

Growing usually near mountain summits, in deciduous forests, at the edges of forests or in clearings, on limestones or granites, at an altitude of 460—1,220 m. Found in NE Greece and S Albania.

Paeonia saueri is characterised by tuberous roots, lower leaves with 19—45 leaflets/ leaf segments, and tetraploidy (2n = 20), which indicate its relatively close relationships with P. peregrina, P. officinalis, P. arietina and P. parnassica. Our cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis showed that P. saueri is distinct from P. peregrina, P. officinalis, P. arietina and P. parnassica. It differs from the latter three in having glabrous stems, petioles and sepals, and in having leaves with bristles along veins on the upper surface and sparse hispidulous hairs on the lower surface. It differs from P. peregrina in having leaflets or segments that are entire, rarely lobed and sparsely hispidulous beneath, and in having red stigmas. Paeonia officinalis subsp. banatica was not taken into consideration when we described P. saueri as a new species. In this subspecies, the leaves are glabrous above and sparsely villose or glabrous beneath, leaflets/leaf segments are fewer (11-24) than in the typical subspecies, and sepals are mostly hispidulous.

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

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This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 218-222.

Paeonia tenuifolia


Perennials 18—60 cm tall. Tap roots elongated, not thickened, up to 1 cm thick, lateral roots always tuberous, with tubers fusiform, oblong or even spherical. Caudex branched, 2-6 cm long; stems glabrous. Lower leaves triternate, leaflets segmented several times; segments 134-340 in number, linear or filiform, final segments 0.5-3.8 cm long, 0.5—8 mm wide, glabrous on both sides, but sometimes covered with bristles along veins above. Flowers solitary and terminal; involucrate bracts 1—3 in number, leaf—like; sepals 4 or 5, rarely 3 in number, all rounded or one, or occasionally two of them, caudate at the apex, 1-1.5 cm long, 0.7—1 cm wide, green but purple—red at the periphery or entirely purple-red, densely hispidulous, rarely glabrous on the abaxial side; petals 6-8 in number, consistently red, obovate, 2—4 cm long, 1.5—2 cm wide, rounded, 2—l0bed or incised at the apex; filaments entirely yellowish white, pink below but yellowish white above to entirely purple-red; anthers yellow; disk fleshy, waved, 1 mm high, yellow; carpels 1—3, but more frequently 2 in number, ovoid, always tomentose, hairs green, yellow to totally purple—red, c. 1 mm long; stigmas sessile, red, 1—1.5 mm wide. Follicles ovoid.

Chromosome number: 2n=10 (diploid)

Usually growing in steppes, meadows, open sandy dunes, shrubs, or at the edges of forests. Paeonia tenuifolia seems to prefer dry habitats, and was found growing at lowlands below an altitude of 900 m. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia (the Caucasus), Serbia, Turkey (European part) and Ukraine.

Paeonia tenuifolia as circumscripted here is a very distinct species. It has the finest leaflets/leaf segments and the greatest number of leaflets/leaf segments of any peony species. There is no intergradation with any other species. In Kartli, Georgia, it grows together with P. daurica. According to preliminary results from our DNA sequencing, P. majko Ketsk. is a hybrid between these two species.

Paeonia biebersteiniana was recognised as an independent species because it was described (e.g., by Schipczinsky (1937)) as having leaf segments that are wider than those of its close relatives. Paeonia carthalinica was distinguished from P. tenuifolia by its wider leaf segments and greyish pubescence on carpels. Hong and Zhou (2003) critically observed the variation of P. tenuifolia in three natural populations in the Caucasus. Leaf segments were found to vary continuously from 0.5 to 6.0 mm in width; even within an individual, three shoots had leaf segments of differing widths (1.5, 3.5 and 5.5 mm). The colour of hairs on the carpels was also very variable, from yellowish green to pink, red and purple red. Apparently, both P. biebersteiniana and P. carthalinica are within the variation range of P. tenuifolia (Hong & Zhou, 2003).

Even Anderson (1818) discovered variation in the width of leaf segments. He stated, “The sterile or rather the radical leaves in rich ground almost constantly assume a linear-lanceolate form; indeed both descriptions of leaves (linear or linear-lanceolate) are frequently produced on the same root”, and thus, “P. hybrida of Pallas is not even a permanent variety”. Unfortunately, many later authors (Ruprecht, 1869; Lipsky, 1899; Busch, 1901; Schipczinsky, 1937; Kemularia- Nathadze, 1961; Halda, 1997, 2004) paid no attention to Anderson’s words, and still recognised P. hybrida and P. biebersteiniana.

When Kotov (1956) described Paeonia lithophila as new, he stated that the new species differed from P. tenuifolia in having shorter stems (10-20 cm), shorter leaf segments (1-8 mm long) and smaller carpels (ca. 1 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide). We examined a topotype, Kotov & Karnauch 19 May 1948 (PE), which is 22 cm tall, with the longest final leaf segments reaching 12 mm. In addition, our collection D. Y. Hong & S. L. Zhou H99028 (from Kartli, Georgia) is 30-45 cm tall, with the longest final leaf segments reaching 23—30 mm; H99043 (Kartli, Georgia) is 40—56 cm tall, with the longest final leaf segments reaching 25-38 mm; but H99052/53 (Stavropol, Russia) is 19-29 cm tall, with the longest leaf segments reaching 18—25 mm. It is clear that P. tenuifolia also varies both in height of stems and length of leaf segments, with H99043 at one extreme, the holotype of P. lithophila at the other extreme, and the topotype and H99052/53 in the middle, linking the two extremes.

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

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This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 210-212.

Paeonia intermedia


Paeonia intermedia1
Herbs perennial, up to 70 cm tall. Tap roots cylindrical, to 2 cm in diameter, woody when old; lateral roots thickened, tuberous, tubers spheroidal to long-fusiform. Lower leaves biternate, covered with bristles along veins above, always glabrous beneath; leaflets several times segmented; segments 70—100 in number, more-or-less decurrent at the base, linear, 6-16 cm long, 0.4-1.8 cm wide, sometimes lobed, acuminate at the apex. Flowers solitary, terminal; involucrate bracts 3 in number, leaf-like, unequal in size; sepals 3-5 in number, often red-purple, ovate—orbicular, 1.5-2.5 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, mostly rounded (at least 2 non—caudate) at the apex, glabrous; petals 7—9 in number, purple-red, obovate, 3.5—5.5 cm long, 1.5—3 cm wide, irregularly incised at the apex; filaments purple; anthers yellow; disk annular, incised, up to 2.5 mm high; carpels 2—5, but mostly 3 in number, tomentose, rarely glabrous; stigmas sessile, 1 mm wide, red; ovules 12-16 per carpel. Follicles 2—2.8 cm long, 1.1—1.3 cm wide. Seeds black, glossy, long-ovoid, 5-5.5 mm long, 3-3.5 mm in diameter.

Chromosome number: 2n=10 (diploid).

Growing on grassy and shrubby slopes, in meadows, steppes, or sparse woods, at altitudes from 900 to 3,250 m. Widely distributed in N Xinjiang of China (S to the Tianshan), Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and the Altai of Russia.

Until Hong & Pan (2004), Paeonia intermedia had long been identified as P. hybrida (Krylov, 1901; Schipczinsky, 1921, 1937; Gamaulova, 1961), or treated as a variety of P. anomala (Fedtschenko & Fedtschenko, 1905; Stern, 1946; Pan, 1979), as a subspecies of P. anomala (Trautvetter, 1904), or even as a form of P. anomala var. hybrida (Trautvetter, 1860). These different and erroneous assignments were made because: (1) the identities of P. anomala, P. intermedia and P. hybrida were not clear to the authors mentioned above, (2) previous authors emphasised the taxonomic value of indumentum on carpels, and (3) the root and calyx characters and their correlation were ignored. Our examination of the types of these three taxa, together with extensive observations of herbarium specimens and natural populations, show that P. intermedia C. A. Mey. is an independent species, differing distinctly from P. anomala by its lateral tuberous to long—fusiform roots, and sepals that are mostly (at least 2 out of 3-5) rounded at the apex but not caudate (Hong & Pan, 2004). In contrast to P. anomala, P. intermedia prefers relatively sunny and dry habitats. In P. intermedia carpels vary in number from 2 to 5, mostly 3, and from tomentose to rarely glabrous even within populations. Ovczinnikov (1975) properly treated the peony in Tajikistan as an element of P. intermedia, but his description of the new subspecies pamiroalaica is not justifiable. His description and our extensive observations have not revealed any significant difference from other populations. Paeonia hybrida Pall. has been shown to be a synonym of P. tenuifolia L. (Hong & Pan, 2004).

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.


This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 205.

Section obovatae only contains P. mairei and P. obovata (and P. japonica if you consider it different from the latter). P. mairei is easily recognized through its shining dark green lengthy foliage. So is P. obovata (P. japonica) through the lengthy leaflets which are obovate, thus much wider in the second half away from the stem. If your species plant is neither of these, pick the second option.

Paeonia obovata (P. japonica) is also characterised by dark maroon red stigmas atop those always smooth and glabrous carpels.

Paeonia obovata


Herbs perennial, 30-70 cm tall. Roots thick, carrot—shaped, attenuate toward tip. Caudex usually short, 2—8 cm long. Stems glabrous, with 5—8 pink or yellow-green scales at the base. Lower leaves spreading or ascending, biternate; leaflets 9 in number, entire, very occasionally one of them 2-segmented, obovate, cuneate at the base, rounded or acute at the apex, 5—20 cm long, 4—14 cm wide, glabrous above, glabrous to densely hispid beneath. Flowers solitary, terminal; involucrate bracts 1 or 2 in number, unequal in size, leaf-like, rarely lacking; sepals 2—4, but mostly 3 in number, unequal in size, 1.5-3 cm long, 1.5-2 cm wide, mostly rounded at the apex; petals 4-7 in number, spreading or incurved, white, rose, pink—red, red, purple—red, or rarely white with pinkish base or margins, obovate, 3—5.5 cm long, 1.8—2.8 cm wide; filaments white, whitish- yellow, or purple below but white above to entirely purple; anthers yellow, orange—red or dark purple; disk yellow, waved, 1—1,5 mm high; carpels mostly 2 or 3, rarely 1, 4 or 5 in number, always glabrous; ovary green; styles 2—5 mm long; stigmas red, 2-3 mm wide. Follicles gradually recurved, ellipsoid, 2—3 cm long. Seeds black, glossy, ovoid-spherical, 6—7 mm long, 5—6 mm in diameter.

Chromosome number: 2n=10 (diploid) and 2n=20 (tetraploid)

In deciduous broad-leaved or mixed broad-leaved and conifer forests, at altitudes from lowlands to 2,800 m.

Widely distributed in E Asia: China (NE, E and central),Japan, the Korea Peninsula and the Far East of Russia

Hong and coworkers have explained clearly why Paeonia japonica and the other taxa were treated in synonymy. Makino (1898) did not designate type for his new variety, var. japonica, so we designated Miyabe and Takeda’s figure as neotype. Mandl (1921) did not designate type for his new species. A. I. Fritz’s collection matches the protologue very well and the locality is the same as indicated in the protologue. Thus, it might be the specimen, based on which the new species was described.

Paeonia obovata comprises two geographically allopatric subspecies that are keyed out below:

1a. Leaves mostly glabrous or sparsely (occasionally densely) hispid on lower surface; diploid (tetraploids rarely occurring in the Far East of Russia and on Mt Changbai of NE China): subsp. obovata

1b. Leaves usually densely, very occasionally sparsely, hispid on lower surface; tetraploid (the only diploid found in a mixed population in Lushi County, W Henan): subsp. willmottiae

Paeonia obovata subsp. obovata

Chromosome number: 2n = 10 and 2n = 20.

Growing in deciduous broad-leaved, mixed broad-leaved and needle-leaved, or coniferous forests, on various media, shales, granites, basalts, etc. and at altitudes from lowlands to 2,800 m.

Distributed in Japan, the Korea Peninsula, the Far East of Russia and NE, N and E China, in addition to a small area in SW China

 

Paeonia obovata subsp. willmottiae

Chromosome number: 2n = 20 (tetraploid).

Growing in broad-leaved deciduous forests mainly on granites, but also on other media such as sandstones and basalts, at altitudes from 800 to 2,800 m. Endemic to China, confined to the mountain area around the Qinling Range: NE Chongqing, W Henan, W Hubei, S Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, and N Sichuan.

Subspecies willmottiae in Paeonia obovata is characterised by tetraploidy. In contrast to the typical subspecies, the leaves are mostly densely or very densely hirsute or pubescent on the lower surface.

 

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

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This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 137-138.

Paeonia mairei


Perennials up to 1 m tall. Roots thick, carrot—shaped. Caudex (rhizomes) c. 2 cm in diameter, up to 15 cm long. Stems single, simple, glabrous. Lower leaves biternate, with some leaflets segmented; leaflets/leaf segments 13-24, but mostly 14—17 in number, oblong-ovate or oblong-lanceolate, 6—16.5 cm long, 1.8—7 cm wide, glabrous, cuneate at the base, usually acuminate or even caudate at the apex. Flowers solitary, terminal; involucrate bracts 1—3 in number, leaf—like or linear; sepals 3—5 in number, green, broadly ovate, all rounded or sometimes one caudate at the apex, 1-1.5 cm long, 0.9-1.2 cm wide; petals 7—9 in number, pink to red, obovate, 3.5-7 cm long, 2—4.5 cm wide, usually rounded at the apex; filaments purple-red; anthers yellow; disk yellow, annular, c. 1 mm high; carpels 2—3, rarely 1 in number, sparsely to densely yellow papillate to hispidulous, sometimes glabrous; styles up to 4 mm long; stigmas red, 1.2-1.5 mm wide. Follicles 3-3.5 cm long, 1—1.2 cm in diameter. Seeds black, oblong-spherical, 7-8 mm long, 4—5 mm in diameter.

Chromosome number: 2n=20 (Hong et al., 1988; Dr Q. E. Yang, personal communication, locality: Qiaojia County of Yunnan, the type locality). Leeper’s (1968) reports of 2n = 10 for this species seem doubtful. They failed in neither providing the vouchers nor indicating the origin of the materials they used. Our observations on the chromosomes of this species (Hong et al., 1988) and Yang’s work cover four localities in three provinces: Shaanxi in the N of the distribution range, Yunnan in the S, and Sichuan. All show 2n = 20.

Growing in deciduous broad-leaved forests at an altitude of 1,200—3,400 m, on limestones. In Chongqing, SE Gansu, W Hubei, S Shaanxi, C & S Sichuan, and NE Yunnan; endemic to China

Paeonia mairei is a very distinct species with no close relatives evident. It is characterised by caudate-acuminate or acuminate leaflets/leaf segments, conspicuous styles, single stems, and plants that are always entirely glabrous except for the carpels. The presence of papillae on the carpels is unique in the whole genus.

 

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

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This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 137-138.

Paeonia clusii


Perennials totally glabrous except carpels and occasionally lower surface of leaves. Tap roots thickened, slightly tuberous, up to 2.5 cm in diameter, lateral roots carrot-shaped. Stems usually purple, 25—50 cm tall, with scales several, up to 9 at the base. Lower leaves biternate, all leaflets segmented; segments 23-95 in number, linear, lanceolate to ovate, 5—10 cm long, 0.5—4.5 cm wide, usually glabrous on both sides, rarely hispidulous beneath. Flowers solitary; involucrate bracts 1—2 in number, leaf-like; sepals 3 or 4 in number, ovate-rounded, mostly rounded at the apex, purple at the periphery; petals 7 in number, white or pink, orbicular, oblong or nearly rhomboid, 4-5 cm long, 2.5-4 cm wide; filaments purple; anthers yellow; disk flat, 0.5-1.0 mm high, tomentose; carpels 2-4, rarely 1 in number, tomentose, hairs 2.0-2.5 mm long, pink or brown-yellow; styles 1-2 mm long; stigmas red, 1.5—2 mm wide. Follicles ellipsoid, 3.8 cm long, 1.5 cm in diameter, reflexed when mature. Seeds ovoid—spherical, black, 8 mm long, 5 mm in diameter.

Chromosome number: 2n=10 (diploid) and 2n=20 (tetraploid).

Confined to three Greek islands: Crete, Karpathos and Rhodes

Paeonia cretica Sabine ex Lindl (1824) was described on the basis of material from the Oxford Botanic Garden, but not from Crete, and is synonymous with P. arietina G. Anderson (1818). Tausch (1828) correctly described the plant collected by Sieber from the White Mountains, Crete, using the name P. cretica. Thus, P. cretica Tausch (1828) is an illegitimate name, and was substituted by a new name, Paeonia clusii Stern (1940), named after Clusius, who is the first to mention the white peony in Crete in 1601.
Paeonia clusii is characterised by a high number of leaf segments, total glabrousness (except carpels and very occasionally the lower side of leaves), and white flowers. Stern (1946) stated that the species is similar to the P. officinalis group. Its leaf segments are mostly fine and it resembles the P. officinalis group in appearance but it differs from that group in having roots carrot-shaped, basipetally attenuate, not remarkably tuberous, leaves nearly always glabrous, and flowers white. Its closest relative seems to be P. broteri in the Iberian Peninsula. Both P. clusii and P. broteri have carrot-shaped roots and relatively high numbers of leaflets/leaf segments (11-32 in P. broteri), and they are both diploid and glabrous except for tomentose carpels. Molecular trees show that P. clusii is not closely related to the P. officinalis group, but instead is relatively closely related to the P. broteri and P. coriacea group (Sang, 1995).

This species comprises two allopatric subspecies.

1a. Leaf segments 23—95 in number, linear to lanceolate, up to 2.6 cm, very occasionally 3.2 cm wide : subsp. clusii

1b. Leaf segments 23-48 in number, lanceolate to ovate, 2.5—4.5 cm wide: subsp. rhodia

 

Paeonia clusii subsp. clusii

Chromosome number: Diploid with 2n = 10 and tetraploid with 2n = 20

Adapted to rather dry habitats, maquis in limestone areas, at altitudes from 200 to 1,900 m. Confined to two Mediterranean islands: Crete and Karpathos.

This subspecies has more and narrower leaf segments than subsp. rhodia.

Paeonia clusii subsp. rhodia

Chromosome number 2n = 10 (diploid).

Growing in pine woods at an altitude of 350-850 m. Confined to Rhodes, an eastern Aegean island of Greece.

The subspecies is different from the typical one in having fewer leaf segments (23-48), which are broader, lanceolate to broad—elliptic (2.5—4.5 cm wide).

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

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This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 164-165.

Paeonia cambessedesii


Perennials, glabrous throughout. Caudex occasionally elongated, forming rhizomes up to 15 cm long. Roots carrot-shaped. Stems mostly purple, less frequently green, 30-50 cm tall. Lower leaves biternate, with 9, rarely 8 or 7, leaflets; leaflets never segmented, ovate, oblong, or ovate-lanceolate, cuneate at the base, obtuse or acute at the apex, 6-11 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, mostly purple beneath. Flowers solitary and terminal; involucrate bracts mostly 2, less frequently 1 or 3, occasionally absent; sepals usually 3, less frequently 2 or 4 in number, rounded but sometimes one of them acute or caudate at the apex, purple; petals pink, 5-8 in number; filaments purple, anthers yellow; disk waved, 1 mm high; carpels 3-8, but mostly 4-6 in number; styles 1-2 mm long; stigmas 1-1.5 mm wide. Follicles ellipsoid-columnar, 3-4 cm long, 1-1.8 cm wide. Seeds spherical, black, c. 5 mm in diameter.

Chromosome number: 2n=10

Growing in calcareous soils with shrubs or grasses at altitudes from 20 to 1,400 m. Confined to the Balearic Islands; endemic to Spain. As far as we are aware, the species is growing at a few sites on Mallorca, on a small island, Cabrera, and on Menorca. In 2001, we visited the port of Pollença and found a population with only about 100 individuals near the tunnel. This species is surely one of the most endangered peonies.

Paeonia cambessedesii has three distinct characters: 1) glabrous throughout; 2) leaflets 9 or even fewer in number, never segmented; 3) a large number of carpels, which easily distinguish it from all of its allies. The species has the smallest number of leaflets in the genus, and the greatest number of carpels in section Paeonia. Another characteristic of this species is the mostly purple colour of the lower side of the leaf.

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

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This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 149-152.

Paeonia algeriensis


Perennials. Roots unknown. Stems more than 50 cm tall, 0.7—1.0 cm in diameter. Lower leaves biternate with one or several of 9 leaflets segmented and thus with 10—13 leaflets/leaf segments; petioles always villose; leaflets/leaf segments ovate or oblong, rounded or broad—cuneate at the base, acute at the apex, 9—18 cm long, 5.5—9.5 cm broad, always moderate to densely white-villose beneath. Flowers solitary and terminal; involucrate bracts 1, leaf-like, or absent; sepals 3 or 4 in number, orbicular or oblong-orbicular, all rounded at the apex, glabrous, purple inside and at the periphery, 2.5-3.5 cm long, 2—2.5 cm wide; petals pink or red, 5-6 cm long, 3—4 cm wide, rounded at the apex; disk c. 1 mm high, slightly waved, glabrous; carpels mostly single, less frequently 2 in number, nearly always glabrous, very occasionally sparsely hairy; styles 1—3 mm long; stigmas red, 2—3 mm wide. Follicles columnar, 4—5.4 cm long. Seeds black, ovoid—oblong, 9 mm long, 7.5 mm in diameter, seed—coat foveolate.

Chromosome number: Unknown (the only species of Paeonia whose chromosome number is still unknown).

Growing in broad-leaved or mixed broad-leaved and coniferous forests with calcarious soils at altitudes of 1,100—2,000 m. A narrow endemic of Algeria, N Africa, and only along the coastal mountain range, Kabylie, concretely in the Babor Mountain, Magris Mountain, Djurdjura Mountain, and in the vicinity of Tala-Kitane and Kefrida.

The peony in Algeria has been taxonomically variously treated. Cosson, Maire, and Greuter & Burdet recognised it as a variety or subspecies in Paeonia mascula (= P. corallina), Battandier treated it as P. russoi var. coriacea, whereas Stern treated it as a variety within P. coriacea. We examined a total of 16 collections from 13 herbaria, a total of 51 sheets with 65 individuals (or stems). The carpels of the peony in Algeria are nearly always glabrous (54/61, i.e. 88.5%). Carpel numbers are the smallest in sect. Paeonia, mostly single (57%), less frequently two (43%). The follicles of this peony are the largest in sect. Paeonia, 4—5.4 cm long. The petioles and lower leaf surfaces are always villose, and the lower leaves have 10-13 leaflets/ leaf segments which are 9-18 cm long and 5.5—9.5 cm broad, larger than those of its close relatives. Therefore, P. algeriensis is a distinct species. Paeonia mascula differs from it in having carpels numbering mostly 3-4, rarely 1-2, occasionally 5, which are always lanate, and leaves that are usually glabrous or very sparsely hispid beneath. Paeonia coriacea is different from the peony in Algeria in having leaves that are glabrous, very occasionally hairy beneath, carpels numbering 1-4, but mostly 2 (52%) or 1 (28%), and smaller follicles and leaflets/leaf segments. Paeonia corsica (a diploid) has 3-4 carpels, less frequently 2 or 5, very occasionally 1, which are usually tomentose, and leaflets/leaf segments that mostly number 9 and are smaller in size.

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.


This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 149-152.

The style is the part of the carpel between the ovary (the wide part at the bottom) and the sticky coloured stigma at the top. It can be absent, short or long and will usually have the same colour as the stigma.

Paeonia kesrouanensis


Perennials. Roots carrot—shaped. Stems 35—80 em tall, glabrous, green, sometimes with purple spots or partially purple at the base, with 4-7 yellow—green scales at the base. Petioles and petiolules glabrous. Lower leaves biternate; leaflets/leaf segments 10—14, rarely up to 17 in number, ovate or elliptic, acute at the apex, 8—l8 cm long, 4—7.5 cm wide, glabrous above, sparsely to rather densely villose beneath. Flowers solitary; involucrate bracts mostly one, rarely 2 in number, leaf-like, or absent; sepals 3-4, less frequently 2 or 5 in number, nearly orbicular, mostly or all rounded but sometimes one acute at the apex, green but often purple at the periphery, usually glabrous, rarely sparsely hirsute outside; petals 5—9 in number, pale pink, pink or red, 4.5-6.3 cm long, 2.5-4.2 cm wide, mostly entire, rarely incised; filaments dark purple; anthers yellow; disk 1 mm high, entire, rarely waved; carpels 1—3, rarely 4 or 5 in number, glabrous; styles 1.5—3.5 mm long, styles and straight part of stigmas together 3.5-7.0 mm long.

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Paeonia kesrouanensis in Osmaniye – Turkey, video by Mehmet Celik

Chromosome number: 2n = 20 (tetraploid)

Growing in Fagus orientalis, Pinus nigra or Cedrus libani forests or in Quercus scrubs in areas of limestones or metamorphic rocks at altitudes from 1,000 to 1,800 m. Confined to Lebanon, SW Syria, and SW and S Turkey

Paeonia kesrouanensis is a distinct species. It grows together with P. daurica in Mt Amanos in S Turkey, but we found no hybrids there. It differs from P. daurica not only in morphology (lower leaves with 10-17 leaflets/leaf segments; carpels 1-3, always glabrous in P. kesrouanensis) but also in ploidy (2n = 20 for P. kesrouanensis versus 2n = 10 for P. daurica). Paeonia kesrouanensis also grows together with P. mascula on Ziyaret Hill, above Senkoy, Antakya, Turkey, where we did not find hybrids. The population of P. mascula there, like the populations elsewhere, had carpels that were 3-5 in number and lanate, and sessile stigmas, and was thus distinct from P. kesrouanensis. Paeonia kesrouanensis is similar to two other allopatric species, P. coriacea (S Spain and Morocco)‘and P. cambessedesii (the Baleares, Spain). However, P. coriacea is nearly always glabrous throughout, and P. cambessedessi is always glabrous throughout, with its lower leaves nearly always of 9 entire leaflets and mostly (3—)4—6(—8) carpels.
Paeonia turcica was described as new by Davis and Cullen due to its having styles and stigma that are shorter than those in P. kesrouanensis and curved near the base (rather than curved only at the apex in P. kesrouanensis). The length of style and stigma in P. turcica is, however, in the variation range of those in P. kesrouanensis (4.5—7 mm) and they curve at various positions. Therefore, P. turcica was treated as a synonym of P. kesrouanensis.

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.


This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 195-196.

Paeonia daurica


Perennials. Roots carrot—shaped, attenuate downwards, up to 4.6 cm in diameter. Lower leaves biternate with 9 leaflets, occasionally 1-2 leaflets segmented, and thus leaflets/leaf segments usually 9, rarely 10 or 11, in number, entire, broad—obovate, oblong, rarely wide—elliptic, sometimes undulate, truncate or rounded, rarely acute or even short—acuminate at the apex, 8—17 cm long, 4.8—11.5 cm wide, glabrous above, glabrous or sparsely to densely villose, or sparsely to rather densely puberulous beneath. Flowers solitary and terminal; involucrate bracts 0—2 in number, leaf-like; sepals mostly 3, less frequently 2 in number, green but with purple periphery or entirely purple, orbicular or ovate—orbicular, up to 3.5 cm long, all rounded at the apex; petals 5—8 in number, usually red or rose, less frequently yellow, pale yellow, white, or yellow but with a red spot at the base or with red periphery; filaments purple; disk c. 1 mm high, waved, tomentose above; carpels 1-5 but mostly 2 or 3 in number, mostly tomentose, less frequently glabrous, hairs 2.5-3 mm long; stigmas nearly sessile, red, 1.5—2 mm wide.

Chromosome number: 2n = 10 and 20 (see each subspecies for detail).

Three lowland subspecies, subsp. daurica, subsp. coriifolia and subsp. mlokosewitschii are diploid, whereas three alpine or subalpine subspecies, subsp. macrophylla, subsp. tomentosa and subsp. wittmanniana are tetraploids. No chromosome information is yet available for subsp. velebitensis.

Growing in deciduous broad—leaved or mixed forests, or at the edges of forests, on various media and at altitudes from 350 to 2,740 m. Widely distributed from Croatia in the west to N Iran in the east via Turkey and the Caucasus. Within the range of this species, the populations in the Caucasus (including the Transcaucasus), the Talish Mountains and the Elburz Mountains are diverse and polytypical, both in morphology and chromosome number. They have been treated as five allopatric subspecies with subsp. coriifolia (diploid) in the lowlands of Georgia, subsp. mlokosewitschii (diploid) in E Georgia, NW Azerbaijan and Dagestan in Russia, subsp. wittmanniana (tetraploid) in the highlands of Abchasia (Georgia) and adjacent regions, subsp. macrophylla (tetraploid) in the western Transcaucasus (Armenia, Georgia and NE Turkey), and subsp. tomentosa (tetraploid) in the Talish Mountains (Azerbaijan and Iran) and the Elburz Mountains (Iran) (Hong & Zhou, 2003)

In Paeonia daurica, the number of leaflets/ leaf segments of lower leaves is mostly 9, rarely 10, very occasionally 11, whereas in P. mascula this ranges from 11 to 22, rarely 10, very occasionally 9. This character is rather stable within populations. ln the population D. Y. Hong et al. H02215 (Mt Amanos, Hatay, Turkey), for example, we observed 37 individuals that all had 9 leaflets/leaf segments. On this mountain, there were hundreds of P. daurica individuals at altitudes from 1,300 to 1,550 m, but very few of them had more than 9 leaflets/leaf segments. The length of the terminal leaflets varied from 5.5 to 15.2 cm (9.2 ± 1.9 cm) in P. daurica, compared with 7.7—16.7 cm (11.8 ± 2.5 cm) in P. mascula. The ratio of the length to width ranged from 1.01 to 1.82 (1.45 ± 0.23) in P. daurica, and from 1.33 to 2.18 (1.79 ± 0.22) in P. mascula. The apex of terminal leaflets was mostly truncate, broad- rounded or rounded in P. daurica, but mostly acute, cuspidate or rounded—cuspidate in P. mascula. The widest point of the terminal leaflets also differed between the two species. Although the widest point was above the middle of the terminal leaflets in both entities, it was much above the middle, about halfway between the top and the middle in P. daurica, but not much above the middle in P. mascula. Thus, the terminal leaflets were broad-obovate or nearly orbicular in P. daurica, but obovate, oblong or ovate in P. mascula. As indicated by Hong et al. (2006), P. daurica was clearly, though not distantly, differentiated from P. mascula in morphology. They were not intermingled with each other, even in S Turkey where the two entities were sympatric. Morphologically, they differed in number of leaflets/ leaf segments of lower leaves, and also in the shape of the terminal leaflets. The great majority of individuals of these two species could be distinguished.

Stearn and Davis (1984) stated that P. daurica (= P. mascula subsp. triternata) and P. mascula geographically overlapped in the eastern Aegean islands (Lesvos and Samos), and that they showed some morphological overlap in Anatolia. We critically examined all the specimens of this group from the regions mentioned above at the herbaria ATH, E, G, LD and UPA, but found that the specimens from Lesvos and Samos, including E. Stamatiadou 2666 (ATH) determined by P. H. Davis as P. mascula subsp. triternata, all belonged to P. mascula subsp. mascula. Thus, no subsp. triternata was present on these two islands. In Anatolia, subsp. triternata and subsp. mascula did coexist in some areas, e.g. in Hatay Province, Turkey, but they were not found to overlap morphologically. Instead, they were rather distinct. Their morphological differentiation can be easily understood when their difference in chromosome number is considered. No hybrids between them have been discovered.

Seven subspecies are recognised and keyed out below.

1a. Sepals often villose on the abaxial side; leaves rather densely villose on the lower side: subsp. velebitensis D. Y. Hong

1b. Sepals glabrous; leaves sparsely villose or puberulous, less frequently densely villose on the lower side or glabrous.

2a. Carpels glabrous or nearly glabrous; petals yellow.

3a. Leaflets/leaf segments densely villose and thus greyish beneath: subsp. macrophylla (Albov) D. Y. Hong

3b. Leaflets/leaf segments usually sparsely villose beneath: subsp. wittmanniana (Hartwiss ex Lindl.) D. Y. Hong

2b. Carpels tomentose; petals red, rose, white or yellow.

4a. Leaflets/leaf segments puberulous or glabrous beneath, obovate, apex rounded or obtuse, often with a short mucro: subsp. mlokosewitschii (Lomakin) D. Y. Hong

4b. Leaflets/leaf segments villose or glabrous beneath, obovate, oblong or wide-elliptic, apex rounded to short—acuminate.

5a. Petals red or rose; leaflets/leaf segments glabrous or sparsely villose beneath.

6a. Leaflets/leaf segments broad-obovate, truncate to rounded at apex: subsp. daurica

6b. Leaflets/leaf segments obovate to oblong, rounded to acute at apex: subsp. coriifolia (Rupr.) D. Y. Hong

5b. Petals yellow or yellowish white, but sometimes red at periphery or with a red spot at base; leaflets or segments villose beneath.

7a. Leaflets/leaf segments mostly densely villose and thus greyish beneath: subsp. tomentosa (Lomakin) D. Y. Hong

7b. Leaflets/leaf segments usually sparsely villose beneath: subsp. wittmanniana (Hartwiss ex Lindl.) D. Y. Hong

 

Paeonia daurica subsp velebitensis

The present author examined 11 collections with 12 sheets in the Hungarian Natural History Museum (BP), the Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Geneve (G), the University of Vienna (WU) and the Botanic Garden in Munich (M). In these collections, all lower leaves are biternate, with 9 leaflets, which are obovate, rarely oblong-elliptic, rounded to acute at the apex, rather densely villose beneath. The carpels are 2 or 3 in number, tomentose, with hairs 3 mm long. These characters indicate the position of these collections within Paeonia daurica Andrews. The character states of 9 leaflets on lower leaves with obovate shape, mostly rounded apex, and rather densely villose hairs beneath make them distinctly different from P. mascula (leaflets/leaf segments of lower leaves more than 9, ovate or oblong-elliptic, acute at the apex, glabrous or sparsely hispid beneath).

The peony in Velebit of Croatia is characterised by villose calyx and rather dense villose hairs on the lower surface of leaves. It is similar to subsp. tomentosa (Lomakin) D. Y. Hong, which is found in S Azerbaijan and NE lran (the Talish Mountains and Elburz Mountains), but subsp. tomentosa has yellow petals. The sepals of subsp. velebitensis are often villose, and thus different from all other subspecies of Paeonia daurica. Therefore, the peony in the Velebit Mountains is rather distinct in morphology from the other six subspecies. Nevertheless, we place it here as a subspecies because its leaf pattern and shape are very similar to those of the typical subspecies, and because we have limited knowledge relating to this peony. The subspecies is confined to the Velebit Mountains in Croatia, and is found at an altitude of 900—1,150 m

 

Paeonia daurica subsp macrophylla

Chromosome number: 2n=20

Growing at altitudes from (800)—1,160—2,400 m, in deciduous forests or mixed coniferous and deciduous broad-leaved forests, and also in glades, with no specific soil preference. Confined to high mountainous areas in Armenia, SW Georgia (Adjaria, Guria, S Imereti, SW Kartli and Meskheti) and NE Turkey.

This subspecies was established as a new taxon by Albov (1895) and raised to specific rank by Lomakin (1897) on the basis of its large leaflets. The entity is characterised by larger leaflets and glabrous carpels. Glabrous carpels also occur, however, in subsp. wittmanniana and occasionally in subsp. tomentosa, and we have shown that the larger leaflets are within the continuous variation of leaflet size in Paeonia daurica. We have not found any other character that distinguishes subsp. macrophylla clearly from the other subspecies of P. daurica (Hong & Zhou, 2003).

 

Paeonia daurica subsp wittmanniana

Chromosome number: 2n=20

Growing in deciduous forests and alpine or subalpine meadows at altitudes of (800)—1,500—2,300 m. All the available records of herbarium specimens show that it is confined to limestone areas. Confined to NW Georgia (Abchasia, lmereti, Megrelia, Ratsha— Letskhumi and Svaneti) and the adjacent region of Russia (upper reaches of the Mzymta River).

We were unable to visit the localities of this subspecies when we were in Georgia in 1999 because of security considerations. Nevertheless, we have examined a large number of herbarium specimens and live individuals in the Tbilisi and Bakuriani Botanical Gardens in Georgia. These showed that the leaflets of this subspecies varied from glabrous to sparsely villose beneath, carpels were 1-3 in number and varied from glabrous or sparsely villose to tomentose, and petals varied from yellow to yellow with a pink spot at the base. The entity is not sufficiently distinct from its closest relatives to allow specific status.

 

Paeonia daurica subsp mlokosewitschii

Chromosome number: 2n= 10

Growing in deciduous forests dominated by Fagus, Quercus, Ulmus, Castanea and Acer, at an altitude of 960—1,060 m. To date, found only in E Georgia, NW Azerbaijan and Dagestan in Russia.

The type specimens of Paeonia mlokosewitschii and P. lagodechiana both came from the same population, which we visited and observed during our expedition in 1999. This population (D. Y. Hong & S. L. Zhou H99035) was extremely polymorphic in petal colour and leaflet indumentum.

Among the seven subspecies of Paeonia daurica, subsp. mlokosewitschii is relatively distinct; its leaflets are usually obovate, rounded and mucronate at the apex, and mostly sparsely or rather densely puberulous but sometimes glabrous beneath. Saunders and Stebbins (1938) made a cross between Paeonia triternata from SE Europe (= P. daurica subsp. daurica) and this entity, which showed that they were interfertile. This suggests that P. mlokosewitschii might be better treated as a subspecies within P. daurica.

 

Paeonia daurica subsp daurica

Chromosome number: 2n = 10 (diploid)

Growing in Woods at altitudes from 350 to 1,550 m. Distributed in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine (Crimea), Greece (Drama), Turkey, Syria and Lebanon

 

Paeonia daurica subsp coriifolia

Chromosome number: 2n=10

Found at altitudes below 1,100 m in deciduous forests, dominated by Quercus, Fagus, Ulmus, Acer and Fraxinus, or in mixed deciduous broad—leaved and coniferous forests, dominated by Picea, Fagus and Quercus. On a wide range of media: sandstones, limestones and volcanic rocks. Confined to W and NW Caucasus.

Paeonia daurica subsp. coriifolia differs from the other subspecies in having red petals and leaflets that are glabrous or sparsely villose beneath.

 

 

Paeonia daurica subsp tomentosa

Chromosome number: 2n=20

Growing in deciduous forests with sand soils, at altitudes from 1,170 to 2,740 m. We also found this subspecies growing on a pasture with scattered trees or shrubs. Confined to the Talish Mountains of Azerbaijan and N Iran, and Elburz Mountains in N Iran.

The subspecies is characterised by leaflets nearly always densely covered with villose hairs on the lower surface, carpels mostly densely, rarely sparsely, tomentose, or occasionally glabrous, and petals usually pale yellow, rarely pale yellow but reddish at the base. It mostly resembles subsp. wittmanniana, but differs in having leaflets mostly densely villose on the lower surface and carpels more-or-less tomentose. By contrast, subsp. wittmanniana possesses leaflets that are mostly sparsely villose and carpels that are often glabrous. The two subspecies are geographically isolated by a considerable distance.

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.


This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 168-171.

Paeonia broteri


Perennials. Tap roots carrot-shaped, up to 3 cm in diameter, lateral roots thin and basipetally attenuate. Stems usually purple, less frequently green, glabrous, 30—80 cm tall. Lower leaves biternate, usually most or nearly all leaflets segmented; leaflets/leaf segments 11—32, but mostly 15—21 in number, elliptic or ovate—lanceolate, rarely obovate, 4-10 (15) cm long, 1.5—5 (6.5) cm wide, cuneate at the base, acute or short—acuminate at the apex, glabrous on both sides, very occasionally sparsely puberulous beneath. Flowers solitary and terminal; involucrate bracts 2 or 1 in number, leaf-like, or very rarely absent; sepals usually 3, rarely 4 in number, mostly rounded at the apex, up to 3 cm long, 2.6 cm wide, green but purple at the periphery, glabrous, very occasionally puberulous on the abaxial side; petals 6—7 in number, pink-red, 5—6 cm long, 3—4 cm wide; filaments yellow or purple; anthers yellow; disk waved, 2 mm high, glabrous or tomentose; carpels mostly 2 or 3, less frequently 1 or 4, very occasionally 5 in number, tomentose, hairs 2 mm long, rust-brown; stigmas sessile, red, 2.5 mm wide. Follicles 2.5—4 cm long, 1.3-1.6 cm in diameter. Seeds oblong, black, 7-8 mm long, 5—6 mm wide.

Paeonia broteri in Portugal – Copyright Samuel da Costa

Chromosome number: 2n = 10 (diploid)

Growing in shrubs, oak or pine forests, in limestone soils at altitudes from 300 to 1,830 m. Confined to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). (We saw two collections from Morocco on a sheet in the Botanical Museum, University of Lund, Sweden. One is from Mt (Djebel) Hassen, 1910—1911, M. Gandoger s.n. and the other from Mt Onezzan, 1910—1911, M. Gandoger s.n. According to Dr G. Dahlgren (personal communication), the field records of Gandoger’s collections were often mixed up.)

Paeonia broteri is characterised by plants glabrous throughout except carpels, leaflets or segments relatively narrow with a relatively high number. The species is closely related to P. clusii, and their relationship is discussed under that species. Paeonia broteri also resembles P. coriacea and P. mascula to some extent, but differs from the former in having tomentose carpels and narrower leaflets/leaf segments (1.5—5—(6.5) rather than 2—8 cm wide), and from the latter in having more leaflets or segments (11-32 rather than 10—18—(21)), which are smaller (4—10—(15) x 1.5—5—(6.5) cm rather than 4.5—18 x 3-9 cm) and nearly always glabrous, and shorter hairs on carpels (2 mm rather than 3 mm long). Furthermore, P. broteri is a diploid (2n = 10), whereas P. coriacea and P. mascula are tetraploid (2n = 20). We found P. broteri and P. coriacea coexisting in the Alfacar Mountains, NE of Granada, but they appeared distinct.

 

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

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This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 160.

Paeonia mascula


Herbs perennial up to 80 cm tall. Roots always carrot—shaped. Stems usually green, sometimes purple, always glabrous, up to 1 cm in diameter. Lower leaves biternate with some leaflets segmented; leaflets/leaf segments usually 11-18, rarely less or more, up to 21 in number, ovate, obovate, wide-elliptic or oblong, cuneate or rounded-cuneate at the base, acute at the apex, 4.5-18 cm long, 3-9 cm wide, glabrous above, mostly glabrous, less frequently sparsely, rarely rather densely hispid beneath. Flowers solitary and terminal; involucrate bracts 1-2 in number, leaf-like; sepals 3-4 in number, all rounded or only one acute at the apex, purple or purple at the periphery, glabrous, 1.5-3 cm long, 1-2.5 cm wide; petals 7-9 in number, pink, red, white or white with pink shade at the base or periphery, obovate, rounded at the apex, 5-7 cm long, 2.5-4 cm wide; filaments pink to purple; anthers yellow; disk waved, 1 mm high, tomentose; carpels mostly 3-4, rarely 1-2, occasionally more in number, always lanate, hairs 3 mm long; styles absent or 1 mm long; stigmas 2-2.5 mm wide, red. Follicles ovoid—columnar.

Chromosome number: 2n = 20 (see each subspecies for detail).

Relatively widely distributed, from N Spain (Cantabria and Soria) to Iraq via France, Italy, the Balkans, Cyprus and Turkey.

The circumscription of Paeonia mascula has changed greatly. Cosson (1887) adopted a very broad concept of P. corallina (=P. mascula), including P. broteri, P. cambessedesii, P. coriacea, P. russoi and P. coriacea var. atlantica (= P. algeriensis Chabert). Gürke (1903) used the name P. mascula (L.) Desf. (Tabl. école bot., 126 (1804)), but his concept is similar to Cosson’s (1887). However, Lynch’s (1890) P. corallina excluded P. broteri, P. coriacea, P. triternata (= P. daurica) and P. russoi as separate species. Huth (1891) held a broad concept following Cosson (1887), and thus broad concepts were prevalent until Stern’s (1946) monograph. Fiori (1898) developed an even broader concept for this group, treating P. corallina as a subspecies of P. officinalis, and P. mascula as a variety of this subspecies, i.e. P. officinalis subsp. corallina var. mascula, but his treatment has never been accepted. Stern (1943, 1946) gave P. mascula a narrow sense, recognising the Arietina group (including P. arietina and P. bakeri), the Broteri group, the Coriacea group (P. coriacea and P. coriacea var. atlantica) and the Russoi group (P. russoi and P. cambessedesii) as groups allied to the Mascula group (P. mascula, P. daurica, P. banatica and P. kesrouanensis).

Cullen and Heywood (1964) revised the taxonomy of the genus Paeonia in Europe, treating P. russoi Biv. as a subspecies in P. mascula, and merging P. arietina G. Anderson for the first time into P. mascula as a subspecies, P. mascula subsp. arietina (G. Anderson) Cullen & Heywood. Thus, the species then had three subspecies. This circumscription was accepted by Davis and Cullen (1965) in ‘Flora of Turkey’. Bolòs and Vigo (1974) adopted Cosson’s (1887) viewpoint, treating P. cambessedesii as a subspecies within P. mascula but no one has subsequently followed this treatment. Tzanoudakis (1977, 1983) adopted Cullen and Heywood’s (1964) concept and described two new subspecies within P. mascula, i.e. subsp. hellenica and subsp. icarica (Tzanoudakis, 1977). Greuter and Burdet (1982) treated the plant from Algeria as P. mascula subsp. atlantica (Coss.) Greuter and Burdet (= P. algeriensis Chabert, = P. corallina var. atlantica Coss. = P. coriacea var. atlantica (Coss.) Stern). Stearn and Davis (1984) basically adopted Cullen and Heywood’s (1964) concept, but treated P. daurica Andrews (1807) as a subspecies within P. mascula, P. mascula subsp. triternata (Pall. ex DC.) Stearn & P. H. Davis. Muñoz-Garmendia and Navarro (1993) recorded P. mascula subsp. mascula in the Iberian Peninsula for the first time. Akeroyd (1993) basically followed Cullen and Heywood (1964), Tzanoudakis (1977), and Stearn and Davis (1984), in recognising five subspecies: subsp. mascula, subsp. arietina, subsp. hellenica, subsp. russoi and subsp. triternata. Paeonia mascula subsp. bodurii N. Özhatay was described as new from NW Turkey (Canakkale Province) by N. & E. Özhatay (1995). Schmitt (1997) recognised five subspecies in P. mascula: subsp. mascula, subsp. atlantica, subsp. coriacea (Boiss.) Malagarriga (1975), subsp. hellenica and subsp. russoi, failing to mention subsp. arietina, subsp. bodurii and subsp. triternata. Halda (1997, 2004) gave no reasons when he merged P. kesrouanensis Thiébaut into P. mascula as a subspecies.

It is clear from the above historic review of taxonomic treatments of P. mascula and its allies that there were 10 valid subspecific names before Hong et al. (2005, 2007), subsp. mascula, subsp. arietina, subsp. atlantica, subsp. bodurii, subsp. coriacea, subsp. hellenica, subsp. kesrouanensis, subsp. orientalis, subsp. russoi and subsp. triternata.

Our observations of sampled populations and herbarium specimens, and subsequent analysis, show that P. daurica Andrews (= P. mascula subsp. triternata) is an independent species (Hong et al., 2007). It has mostly nine leaflets or segments and is a diploid, with the exception of three subalpine or alpine subspecies in the Caucasus (Hong & Zhou, 2003). Paeonia algeriensis Chabert (1889) is a distinct species with mostly single and nearly always glabrous carpels, large follicles and always villose lower leaf surfaces (see that species for a detailed analysis). Paeonia arietina has its closest relatives in the P. officinalis group rather than the P. mascula group because it has tuberous roots and densely hirsute stems, leaves and sepals (Hong et al., 2008). Hong and Wang (2006) demonstrated that the peonies in Corsica, in Sardinia and on the Ionian Islands and the adjacent mainland (Akarnania Province of Greece), which have been identified as Paeonia subsp. russoi, do not belong to this subspecies but form an independent species, P. corsica Sieber ex Tausch (1828). According to their concept, subsp. russoi is confined to Sicily and Calabria in Italy. Paeonia coriacea Boiss. is distinct and can be readily distinguished from P. mascula as it is glabrous throughout, its styles 1.5—3 mm long, and its carpels mostly 2 in number. Paeonia kesrouanensis (Thiébaut) Thiébaut differs distinctly from P. mascula in always having glabrous carpels, in having leaves that are rather densely villose beneath, and in having styles and stigmas that are 5-7 mm long in total, and recurved at the apex. Paeonia kesrouanensis and P. mascula meet in S Turkey (Hatay Province), but we found no hybrids there during our field observations in 2002, indicating that the two species are indeed distinct (Hong et al., 2005).

Paeonia mascula here circumscripted is a variable species. According to our observations and statistical analysis, four subspecies could be recognised in its entire range.

1a. Flowers red or pink (entire range, except Sicily, Calabria, Qanakkale Province of Turkey and some Aegean islands): subsp. mascula

1b. Flowers mostly white, rarely red or pink.

2a. Leaves nearly always hispid, very rarely glabrous beneath (Sicily and Calabria of Italy): subsp. russoi

2b. Leaves mostly glabrous, rarely very sparsely hispid beneath.

3a. Leaflets/leaf segments of lower leaves 9—11 in number, 13-17.5 x 7-9 cm (Qanakkale in NW Turkey): subsp. bodurii

3b. Leaflets/leaf segments of lower leaves (9—)11—14(—21) in number, 9—13 x 4.5—7.5 cm (S Greece and Aegean islands): subsp. hellenica

 

Paeonia mascula subsp mascula

Chromose number: 2n=20

Growing in deciduous broad-leaved forests dominated by Quercus, Fagus, Platanus or Castanea, or in conifer forests of Pinus, Abies or Cedrus, or in thickets at the edges of forests. It is mostly found on limestone areas at altitudes from 300 to 2,200 m. Most widely distributed, covering nearly the entire range of the species, from N Spain to Iraq (absent from Sicily and Calabria of Italy, and some islands in Greece). There are some specimens collected from the island of Steep Holm, England, but according to Stern (1946) and Clapham and his co- workers (Clapham er al., 1987), the species was introduced and has been naturalised there.

 

Paeonia mascula subsp russoi

Chromosome number: 2n=20 (tetraploid).

Growing in sparse forests dominated by Fagus sylvestris, Quercus sp. and Castanea sativa, or in thickets of Crataegus sp.; on limestones at altitudes from 800 to 1,650 m. Confined to Sicily and Calabria, Italy.

Paeonia mascula subsp. russoi is characterised by petals that are mostly white, or white with pink shade at the base or periphery, less frequently pink or red, and leaves that are mostly rather densely hispid, rarely glabrous beneath. The subspecies has also been reported to occur in Corsica (France), Sardinia (Italy), and the Ionian islands and Akarnania Province (Greece). However, the peonies in these regions have leaflets/leaf segments 9, rarely more in number, are nearly always villose beneath, have carpels covered with short hairs (1.5 mm long) and have chromosomes 2n=10. They actually form a separate species, Paeonia corsica Sieber ex Tausch (1828) (Hong & Wang, 2006). Thus, P. mascula subsp. russoi is confined to Sicily and Calabria.

Paeonia mascula ssp bodurii

Chromosome number: 2n=20

Growing in sparse forests of Quercus infestoria, Pinus nigra, Tilia sp. and Castanea sativa on stony slopes. Not far away from the population we sampled was a pure and well-developed Pinus nigra forest. It is apparent that the habitat of Paeonia mascula subsp. bodurii is secondary. It was found on granites at an altitude of 400-760 m. According to N. & E. Özhatay and our observations, the subspecies is confined to a small area near Camyayla in Cannakale Province, NW Turkey.

This subspecies is characterised by white petals, and by fewer but larger leaflets/leaf segments (9-11 in number; terminal one 13-18 cm long, 7-9 cm wide) than in subsp. mascula.

 

Paeonia mascula subsp hellenica

Chromosome number: 2n = 20 (tetraploid)

Found mostly in forests dominated by Abies and Arbutus, or in sparse Crataegus thickets with scattered trees of Castanea sativa, Platanus orientalis, etc.; on limestones at an altitude of 500—2,000 m. Confined to S Greece and the Aegean islands.

Flowers of this subspecies are mostly white, rarely red or pink. According to Dr Tzanoudakis at the University of Patras, Greece (on the evidence of his slides of a population from Euboea), 90% of individuals have white petals. It is closely related to subsp. russoi, from which it differs only in having leaves mostly glabrous, rarely sparsely hispid on the lower surface.

 

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.


This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 181-187.

Paeonia corsica


Perennials. Roots thickened, carrot—shaped, attenuate downwards, up to 2 cm in diameter, grey—brown. Stems 35—80 cm tall, with 5—7 scales at the base, glabrous, green or green but partially purple, or nearly entirely purple. Petioles green, partially purple or entirely purple, glabrous or villose; lower leaves biternate, with 9 leaflets, leaflets rarely segmented nearly to the base, thus leaflets/leaf segments mostly 9, less frequently 10, 11, very rarely more (up to 20), ovate to elliptic, 4-13 cm long, 2-8 cm wide, cuneate to nearly truncate at the base, acute at the apex, always glabrous above, but mostly rather densely, less frequently sparsely villose, rarely glabrous beneath. Flowers terminal. Involucrate bracts 0-3, leaf-like. Sepals 2—8, but mostly 3—5 in number, unequal in size, green or green but purple at the periphery to entirely purple, ovate—orbicular, with one or two (rarely three) acute while the rest rounded at the apex, rarely one caudate at the apex; petals 7—8 in number, rose, obovate; filaments purple; anthers yellow; disk 1 mm high, waved, tomentose on flowers with tomentose carpels; carpels 1-8, but mostly 2—5 in number, green, purple or red, hispidulous, with hairs 1.5 mm long, brown-yellow, rarely glabrous, the widest above the middle; styles 1.5 – 3 mm long; stigmas red, 1-1.5 mm wide. Seeds ovoid-spherical, black, c. 7 mm long, 5—6 mm in diameter.

Chromosome number: 2n=10 (diploid).

Found from 400 to 1,700 m in altitude; in a variety of communities, oak and pine forests, maquis, and herbs; on various media, limestones, granites and metamorphic rocks. Confined to Corsica (France), Sardinia (Italy), and the Ionian Islands and Akarnania Province (Greece)

Paeonia corsica Sieber ex Tausch is characterised by having mostly 9 leaflets and leaves often rather densely villose beneath, carpels mostly hispidulous with the widest part above the middle and hairs only 1.5 mm long, remarkable styles, and diploidy. The species has often been confused with P. mascula, P. coriacea and P. cambessedesii. In P. mascula, there are usually more than ten, rarely nine, leaflets/leaf segments, which are usually glabrous or sparsely hispid beneath (subsp. russoi is usually rather densely hispid); the hairs on carpels are much longer (3 mm) than those of P. coriacea, and there are no styles. P. coriacea is usually glabrous throughout except for a few variants, and it also has more than 10 leaflets/leaf segments. Furthermore, P. mascula and P. coriacea are both tetraploid. P. cambessedesii is a diploid, with carrot-shaped roots and leaflets that are never segmented; indeed, it is closely related to corsica. However, P. cambessedesii is entirely glabrous throughout, mostly with 4—6 carpels, and its leaflets are never segmented and sometimes reduced to 8 or even 7 in number, which is unique in the whole genus. Paeonia Corsica has a relatively high number of sepals (3-5), nearly half of which (1, 2 or even 3) are acute at the apex. This character state can also be used to distinguish this species from its allies. Hong and Wang (2006) describe observations and statistical analysis which show that P. corsica is distinct from P. mascula (including subsp. russoi), P. cambessedesii and P. coriacea.

There are two questions concerning the taxonomy of the peony in Corsica and Sardinia: one is why Paeonia corsica Sieber ex Tausch, a valid name, has been neglected, and the other is why so many scientific names are used for the peony there. Seven taxa from Corsica and one from Sardinia have been described as new.

Paeonia corsica Sieber ex Tausch (1828) was described as new on the basis of a collection from Mt Cagna, Corsica. The protologue states, “germinibus glabris erectis; foliis biternatimsectis, laciniis integris ovatis acuminates subglaberrimis” (carpels glabrous, erect; leaves biternate, segments entire, ovate, acuminate and nearly glabrous). This peony with “glabrous carpels” and “leaves . . . . .. nearly glabrous” was then variously treated in taxonomy. Cosson (1850) described this form as a new variety, P. corallina var. leiocarpa Coss., ignoring P. corsica, but he later treated it as a variety, P. corallina var. corsica (Sieber ex Tausch) Coss. (Cosson, 1887). Paeonia corsica was neglected by Lynch (1890). Huth (1891) recognised this form as P. corallina var. cambessedesii Willk. (1875), and treated P. corsica as its synonym. Willkomm’s variety was originally described from the Baleares, Spain. Rouy and Foucaud (1893) treated it as a form, P. corallina f. corsica. Fiori (1898) recognised it at varietal rank but under a different specific name, P. officinalis subsp. corallina var. corsica. Gürke (1903) recognised this plant as P. mascula var. corsica. Ascherson and Graebner (1923) restored P. corallina var. corsica (Sieber ex Tausch) Coss. (1887), and treated P. corallina var. leiocarpa and P. cambessedesii as its synonyms. In his monograph of Paeonia, Stern (1946) treated all the names with “corsica” as synonyms of P. russoi var. leiocarpa. Following Stern (1946), no later author, except for Halda (2004), recognised “corsica” as a valid name at any rank. For example, Zangheri (1976) identified Sieber’s form in Sardinia as P. coriacea Boiss. (1838), which was originally described from southern Spain, without mentioning P. corsica; Pignatti (1982) identified Sieber’s peony as P. coriacea, treating P. corsica as its synonym, and this treatment was followed by Schmitt (1997). Akeroyd (1993) treated P. corsica as a synonym of P. mascula subsp. russoi. Halda (2004), following Huth (1891), put P. corsica and P. cambessedesii into a single species, but he used the former name. Thus, Sieber’s peony has been given three ranks, specific, varietal and form, with various names. The name P. corsica has been neglected by most recent authors who dealt with Paeonia in the region, e.g. Cullen and Heywood (1964), Schmitt (1997).

The peony in Corsica and Sardinia has been found to be extremely variable, particularly in the population D. Y Hang et al. H01015 from Cagna, Corsica, the type locality of P. corsica. Here leaflets/leaf segments were found to be 9, 10, 12, 13, 16 and 20 in number, and glabrous or sparsely to rather densely hairy beneath; carpels were found to number from one continuously to eight, and to be holosericeous, rarely glabrous. Our field observations and population sampling have shown that such variations are actually polymorphic. Reverchon’s two collections, Reverchon 218 from S Corsica and Reverchon 291 from N Sardinia, both have a number of duplicates. Our examination of them also showed polymorphic features of the peony on these two islands (Hong & Wang, 2006). Reverchon 291 was collected from Mt Limbardo, N Sardinia, twice in May and July of 1882, and has a number of duplicates in the herbaria E, K, P and WU. One sheet in Kew (K) is of two individuals, one (collected in May) with three hairy carpels and the other (July) with four glabrous carpels, but both individuals have nine leaflets that are hairy beneath. The two individuals at Edinburgh both have three hairy carpels and nine hairy leaflets; and the two in Vienna (WU) have five hairy carpels and hairy leaflets. There are four sheets in Paris (P), among which leaflet/leaf segment number varies from 9 to 11, all individuals are rather densely hairy beneath. On one sheet the individual possesses two carpels that are densely hispidulous; another has an individual that is sparsely hairy near the styles and along the sutures; whereas the specimens on the other two sheets have entirely glabrous carpels. The fact that some specimens “possess mascula-like fruits”, whereas the others “have coriacea—like fruits” has caused some difficulties in taxonomy, as recognised by Cullen and Heywood (1964), who even doubted whether Reverchon’s collection (Reverchon 291) came from the same place. The number of leaflets / leaf segments and the presence or absence of indumentum on the lower surface of leaves and on carpels are variable even within populations, e.g. D. Y. Hong et al. H01015, and these characters are not correlated with each other or with any other character. Therefore, the peony on Corsica and Sardinia is highly polymorphic, and cannot be considered to comprise more than one entity.

The peony from Lefkada, Zakinthos, Kefallonia and Akarnania, W Greece, was found to be similar to that in Corsica and Sardinia, but it differs in morphology from that in Sicily. It is a diploid with 2n = 10, like the peony in Corsica and Sardinia. Therefore, the peony in W Greece is the same entity as that in Corsica and Sardinia, but differs from that in Sicily, as recognised by Tzanoudakis (1977) and by Stearn and Davis (1984).

Sieber’s peony is not the only form of Paeonia in Corsica and Sardinia. A number of other forms have been described and variously treated. A form with leaves villose beneath and carpels hispidulous was described as a new variety from Corsica by Moris (1837), P. corallina var. pubescens. This entity was reduced by Cosson (1887) to synonymy with P. corallina var. russoi (Biv.) Coss. (= P. russoi Biv.). Paeonia russoi Biv. (Bivona, 1816) was originally described on the basis of a plant from Panorm, Sicily. It is characterised by leaves “supra glabris, subtus vix pubescentibus”, carpels “duo, recurvatae, pilose”, and “petala 6, obovata, chermisia” (leaves “glabrous above, more or less pubescent beneath”, carpels “two, recurved, pilose”, and “petals 6, obovate, red”). Huth (1891) identified a peony in Corsica and Sardinia with pubescent leaves and glabrescent carpels when mature as P. corallina var russoi. Rouy and Foucaud (1893) recognised a form with glabrous or pubescent leaves and tomentose carpels as P. corallina f. ovatifolia (Boiss. & Reut.) Rouy & Foucaud (= P. broteri var. ovatifolia Boiss. & Reut.), and a form with usually pubescent leaves and tomentose carpels as P. corallina f. triternata. Paeonia broteri var. ovatifolia Boiss. & Reut. was originally described from Spain by Boisser and Reuter (1842); the type locality of P. triternata Pall. is Crimea, Ukraine. A form with another combination of characters, i.e. carpels glabrous but leaves pubescent, was described as a new variety from Corsica by Legrand (1899), P. russoi var. reverchonii Legrand. Also from Corsica, Jordan (in Jordan & Fourreau, 1903) described two new species: P. revelieri with its leaves pubescent beneath and red along nerves and carpels tomentose, and P. glabrescens with its leaves polished and carpels 3-7 in number, tomentose. Again from Corsica, Briquet (1910) described a new taxon with leaves glabrescent, P. corallina var. pubescens f. hypoleuca. Interestingly, with so many botanic names available for Paeonia in Corsica and Sardinia, Cesca and his co-workers (Cesca et al., 2001) described another new species from Sardinia, P. morisii, which is characterised by purplish stems, almost always 9 leaflets and long, irregularly bent and abundant hairs on the lower surface.

Five infraspecific taxa were recognised by Ascherson and Graebner (1923) for the peony in Corsica and Sardinia. If Jordan’s two species, which were not mentioned by Ascherson and Graebner (1923), are taken into consideration, the number of taxa in Corsica and Sardinia would be seven in three species. At the other extreme, only one taxon, P. mascula subsp. russoi, was recognised by Cullen and Heywood (1964) in the whole region under study. Therefore, the number of taxa recognised in Corsica and Sardinia changed from seven (Ascherson & Graebner, 1923) to one (Cullen & Heywood, 1964). The total number of botanic names used for Paeonia in Corsica and Sardinia is as great as 29.

 

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.


This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 153-157.

Paeonia coriacea


Perennials glabrous throughout, very occasionally hairy on leaves and carpels. Roots carrot-shaped. Stems 40-90 cm tall, up to 1 cm in diameter, green but sometimes purple. Lower leaves biternate; leaflets 9, with 1 or several segmented; leaflets/leaf segments 10-15 in number, ovate—orbicular or broad-ovate, broad—cuneate at the base, acute, less frequently obtuse or short-acuminate at the apex, 5-15 cm long, 2-8 cm wide, glabrous on both surfaces, very occasionally puberulous on the lower surface. Flowers solitary and terminal; involucrate bracts 1 or 2 in number, leaf-like, rarely absent; sepals usually 3, less frequently 2 in number, all or mostly rounded at the apex. 1.5-3.5 cm long, 1-2.5 cm wide, purple; petals red, acute or rounded, entire or slightly incised at the apex: disk waved, 1-2 mm high, red; carpels 1-4, but mostly 2 or 1 in number, glabrous, very rarely very sparsely hirsute: styles 1.5-3 mm long; stigmas red, 2-2.5 mm wide. Follicles 3.5-4.8 cm long. Seeds oblong. black. 7-8 mm long. 5-6 mm in diameter.

Chromosome number: 2n=20 (tetraploid)

Growing in woods of Quercus or Cedrus in limestone areas at an altitude of 600-2,100 m. Confined to S Spain and Morocco.

Paeonia coriacea has been treated as a subspecies of P. mascula by some authors . In P. mascula, carpels are mostly 3 or 4 in number, always lanate, with hairs as long as 3 mm, sessile stigmas, and leaves that are often hispid beneath, and thus P. coriacea is distinct from P. mascula in morphology. Paeonia coriacea has been confused with P. corsica in Corsica and Sardinia. In some populations of P. corsica in Corsica (Mt Cagna) and Sardinia (Mt Limbardo), carpels were either glabrous or sparsely to densely hairy, and leaves also varied from glabrous to densely hairy; glabrous carpels were mostly not correlated with glabrous leaves. Furthermore, the peony in Corsica and Sardinia possessed 1—8 (mostly 2—5) carpels and styles of 1.5—3 mm in length, and was diploid. Thus, P. coriacea and P. corsica are two distinct species, and all peonies in Corsica and Sardinia belong to P. corsica. We have examined more than 70 collections and all are glabrous throughout except for two, one from Mt Alfacar of Granada Province, and the other from Puebla de D. Rodrigo of Ciudad Real Province. The first collection has two sheets: one rather densely hirsute on the lower side of leaves and sparsely hirsute at the base and along dorsal suture of carpels; the other densely hirsute on the lower surface of leaves, hirsute at the base of carpels, and very sparsely hirsute on the other parts of carpels. The second collection is rather densely hirsute only on the lower surface of leaves. We suppose that the hairy individuals are just variants within populations. Eight collections were examined from Mt Alfacar, and we sampled a population from this mountain, where CN-520 is the only one with hairs.

The peony in Algeria has long been treated as a member of Paeonia coriacea or P. mascula. However, this is a distinct species, P. algeriensis, with larger and hairy leaflets/leaf segments, mostly single (less frequently two) carpels, and larger follicles (>4.5 cm long).

 

The Peony Society also has a page about this species here.

If you need more info about paeonia species, click here.


This species overview and synonyms on Kew Plants of the World Online: here

Source: Hong, De-Yuan. “Peonies of the World. Taxonomy and phytogeography.” Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 2010, p. 197-198.

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  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, May 7th
    Paeonia 'Lemon Chiffon'Paeonia suffruticosa 'Golden Temple'
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, May 2nd
    [quote author=J?rg P link=topic=19512.msg434064#msg434064 date=1714117172Does anybody of you know the name of the following cultivar (I got it under the name of 'Quing Long Wo Mo Chi'); the flowers are most time double, but sometimes also only semi-do...
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, May 1st
    A little more imagination is needed to see the orange color... in fact when it starts to overbloom the color changes to orange, it's kind of reassuring.  P. potaninii ?Orange-Rot?
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, May 1st
    Quote from: Gail on April 30, 2024, 09:04:17 PMThat is lovely Stefan! I tried to buy 'Hephestos' but the plant I was sent flowered pale cream...This is very annoying, sorry!  I have been looking for this variety for ...
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, April 30th
    That is lovely Stefan! I tried to buy 'Hephestos' but the plant I was sent flowered pale cream...
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, April 30th
    I am very impressed by the deep red color of this peony.Paeonia suffruticosa 'Hephestos'
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, April 30th
    Quote from: Gail on April 29, 2024, 07:34:51 PMand new to me this year Paeonia 'Mikunino-akebono' which has ragged edges to the petals (Attachment Link) I like this!!
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, April 29th
    Quote from: J?rg P on April 26, 2024, 08:39:32 AMDoes anybody of you know the name of the following cultivar (I got it under the name of 'Quing Long Wo Mo Chi')It's definitely not 青龙卧墨池, you can see that one here: ht...
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, April 29th
    Quote from: J?rg P on April 26, 2024, 08:39:32 AMDoes anybody of you know the name of the following cultivar (I got it under the name of 'Quing Long Wo Mo Chi'); the flowers are most time double, but sometimes also only semi-d...
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, April 29th
    It is always easier to say what a peony is not than to give it a correct name...I was at Madingley Hall near Cambridge at the weekend. Their walled garden is delightful and I was pleased to see P. mlokosewitchii flowering.In my own gard...
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, April 26th
    Thanks Leena and Gail.@Leena: That would be great, if you could send me in autumn some seeds of your P. veitchii; thanks.I have clay in my garden and for me it looked like that is the reason why P. veitchii is not doing well here. It was more or less...
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, April 25th
    My veitchii is not flowering this year, which is my fault as I've let it get overcrowded so must move it. My emodi (from wild-collected seed) has just opened its first flower with several more to come. It does seem quite prone to botrytis and needs wat...
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, April 25th
    Quote from: J?rg P on April 25, 2024, 12:36:43 PMI have another strange thing. My P. emodi grows every year and shows small flower buds, but they do not develop over 1cm in diameter. Sometimes I had issues with frost and tried...
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, April 25th
    Also this year my Shima Nishiki flowered only in red. It had 4 flowers this year (last year it was only one, but it had white stripes).I have another strange thing. My P. emodi grows every year and shows small flower buds, but they do not develop over...
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, April 17th
    Paeonia mlokosewitchii
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, April 16th
    Quote from: Gail on April 16, 2024, 08:15:23 AMPaeonia tenuifolia is the one most commented on by passers-by;It really is an impressive old plant with many flowers!The funny thing is my Peony 'Shima Nishiki' is also...
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, April 16th
    Paeonia tenuifolia is the one most commented on by passers-by;P. ostii ('Feng Dan Bei'), very popular with bees;
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, April 16th
    Yes, we've had wind and heavy hailstorms - not good for peonies! My front garden in sunshine;Paeonia rockii - the plant Rivieres sells as UK formCardinal Vaughanwhich is identical to (but the supplier charge...
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, April 11th
    Our paeonies, growing in Aberdeen, are far behind those shown here - but with all the wind and rain, that is probably a blessing!
  • Re: Paeonia 2024 2024, April 11th
    Quote from: Gail on April 10, 2024, 08:28:17 PM This has only produced all red flowers for me; I'm hoping it gives me some stripey ones in due course.When established the plant will begin to show striped flowers. It ...

2024, The Peony Society - https://www.peonysociety.eu

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