Tab. 8667. 

 paeonia wlllmottiae. 



China. 



Ranunculaceab. Tribe Paeonieae. 

 Paeonia, Linn. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant, vol. i. p. 10, 



Paeonia Willmottiae, Stapf; species nova P. obovatae, Maxim., affinis sed 

 foliolis majoribus exsiccando firmioribus subtus densius pilosis fere tomen- 

 tosis magis glaucis, floribus candidis, antheris parvulis, carpellis an 

 semper 5, stylis magis elongatis differt. 



Herba perennis, caule glabro. Folia inferiora biternata; foliola lateralia 

 oblique elliptico-ovata, breviter petiolulata, uno latere in petiolulo decur- 

 rentia, ea segmentorum lateralium basi inaequaliter in petiolulum decur- 

 rentia, terminalia elliptica • vel obovato-elliptica, longiuscule petiolulata, 

 omnia apice breviter contracta, superne obscure viridia et glabra, subtus 

 glauca et purpureo-suffusa, undique pilis albis brevibus adpressis sub- 

 tomentosa, majora ad 15 cm. longa, ad 8 cm. lata ; petiolus et rhacbis 

 (saltern inferne) glabra ; petioluli terminales 3-5 cm. longi, pilosuli ; folia 

 summa 3-foliolata, foliolis magis acuminatis. Flores aperti circiter 15 cm. 

 diametro, pedicello glabro rubescente. Sepala 4, inaequalia, late oblonga, 

 obtusa, valde concava, 2-3 5 cm. longa, 14-1 7 cm. lata, glaberrima, 

 laete viridia. Petala circiter 10, rotundata vel obovata, concava, interiora 

 multo angustiora, Candida. Stamina numerosissima ; filamenta purpurea, 

 1 cm. longa ; antherae aureae, ad 4 mm. longae. Carpella 5, a latere visa 

 lanceolata, glaberrima, viridia, sensim in stylum rubrum conicum abeuntia, 

 eo incluso ultra 2 cm. longa ; stigmata a latere valde compressa, revoluta. 

 FollicuU oblique oblongo-ellipsoidei, ultra 2 cm. longi, 1-2 cm. diametro, 

 stylo 5-7 mm. longo stigmateque uncinato-revoluto coronati. Semina 

 fere obovoidea, circiter 8 mm. longa, 5 -5-7 mm. lata, testa atra. — 0. Stapf. 



The Paeony here described was raised, from seed 

 received from China, in the garden of Miss Willmott, 

 of Warley Place, Essex, to whom we are indebted for 

 the material for our plate. The history of that seed 

 is somewhat obscure. The plant appeared in a pan in 

 which some Chinese seeds collected by Mr. E. H. Wilson 

 had been sown. As it seemed in the seedling stage 

 unlike any other species in the collection at Warley, it 

 was pricked off by itself and kept under observation 

 until it should flower. When planted out it was placed 

 in the collection next to P. obovata, Maxim., which had 

 been raised from seed obtained in Manchuria, and 

 seemed to be its nearest ally in the genus. That P. 

 Willmottiae, now described, approaches P. obovata is evi- 

 dent, but it is readily distinguished by its larger leaflets, 



July, 1916. 



