Paeonia L.

1. Paeonia L. View in CoL 2

Perennial herbs, usually with woody stems, dying down in the winter, or evergreen, with erect tuberous stocks and fleshy roots. Leaves large, simply biternate, or further divided. Flowers 6- 14 cm in diameter; petals white, pink or red. Stamens numerous. Carpels 2-8, free, glabrous or pubescent. Fruit a group of horizontally spreading follicles; seeds in two rows.

A number of species and hybrids are widely cultivated for ornament.

Literature: F. C. Stern, A Study of the Genus Paeonia . London. 1946.

1 Segments of lower leaves more than 40, each segment less than

5 mm wide 1. tenuifolia 1 Segments of lower leaves less than 40, each segment more than

5 mm wide

2 Petalswhite,occasionallyflushedpink 5. clusii 2 Petalsredordeeppink

3 Mostleafletsdivided,thelowerleaveswith17 -30narrowly elliptical to lanceolate segments

4 Leaves with minute bristles along the veins on the upper surface

5 Ultimate leaf-segments cut to | or | of the total leaflet length, broadly triangular, spreading, the leaflet appearing serrate at the apex 3. peregrina 5 Ultimate leaf-segments cut to | or more of the total leaflet length, narrowly triangular, deflate or subulate, leaflet not appearing serrate at the apex 2. anomala 4 Leaves without such bristles

6 Leaves glaucous and glabrous beneath; leaflets narrowly elliptical; filaments yellow 6. broteroi 6 Leaves green or brownish and pubescent beneath; leaflets very narrowly elliptical to lanceolate; filaments red

4. officinalis 3 Mostleafletsundivided, thelower leaveswith9 -16 elliptical, ovate or orbicular segments

7 Leaflets orbicular; margins undulate 8. daurica 7 Leaflets generally narrower; margins not undulate

8 Follicles 5-8, c. 6 cm, glabrous, purple 10. cambessedesii 8 Follicles less than 5, less than 6 cm, glabrous or pubescent, never purple, sometimes reddish

9 Follicles (3 - 5-)4- 5 cm, glabrous, with apex attenuate into stigma 9. coriacea 9 Follicles 2-5-4 cm, usually pubescent, with obtuse or rounded apex and sessile stigma

10 Leaves glabrous beneath; leaflets 2-4 cm wide, narrowly elliptical 6. broteroi 10 Leaflets usually pubescent beneath; leaflets 5-10 cm wide, elliptical 7. mascula