P^eonia Moutan. ' The Moutan, or 

 Chinese Tree-Peony, 



p %■ $ ^ %%%% % HJHfc * & #~ $ fc 3h£* 

 G/fl/i and Order. 



POLYANDRIA TRIGYNIA. 



Generic Character. 



Cal. 5-phyllus. Petala 5. Stylio. Capful a polyfpermae intus 

 dehifcentes. 



Specific Characler and Synonyms. 



P^EONIA Moutan; cauleperenni lignefcente,foliolisoblongo- 



ovatis fubtus glaucis villofiufculis : extremo trilo- 



bato, capfulis plurimis. 

 LE MOUTAN ou Pivoine arbrilTeaux de Chine. Mem. de 



Cbinois, i>. 3. p. 461. 

 BOTAN it. Fkamigufa et Hatfkangufa. Kampf. Amcen. Exot. 



p. 862. 

 P^EONIA arkoiee. Do/in. Hort. Cant. p. 196. 

 P-<£ONIA fuffruticofa. Bot. Repof. t. 373 et 448. 

 P^EONIA papaveracea. Bot. Repof. t. 463 ? 



The Moutan, though cultivated in China about fourteen 

 hundred years, is confidered in that ancient empire, accord- 

 ing to the mifConaries, as rather of modern introduction. The 

 Chinefe writers feem to differ in their accounts with regard to 

 its origin, feme attributing it to a particular procefs of culture, 

 by which the common Peony has been converted into this 

 magnificent fhrub, fomeiimes attaining, as it is faid, in the 

 province of Lo-Yang, the foil and climate of which is parti- 

 cularly favourable, the height of eight or ten feet ; whilrr 

 others, perhaps with more probability, fay it was firft difcovercd 

 growing among the mountains in Northern China, whence it 

 was brought into the Southern provinces, and cultivated with 

 the fame rage as Tulips have been in Europe, and with a 



fimilar 



