fimilar effe& of producing numerous varieties, fome of which, 

 from their beauty and rarity, have been known to fell in China 

 for a hundred ounces of gold. Notwithstanding the Chinefe 

 Florifts differ from the European, in rejecting all variegated 

 flowers, confidering fuch as contrary to nature, they enumerate 

 two hundred and forty fpecies, as they are called, many of 

 them of exquifite beauty and delightful fragrance. 



Thunberg, as well as Loureiro, as is evident by his 

 having given as fynonyms both the Saku-Jaku aad Botan of 

 KiEMPFER, confidered this plant to be the fame fpecies with the 

 P^eonia officinalis of Linnaeus, which is likewife cultivated 

 in China, and much ufed there in medicine. 



The PjEonia papaveracea of Andrews we fufpeft may 

 be a mere variety of the Moutan with white flowers fpotted 

 with crimfon ; and that the Angular union of fix capfules into a 

 globular feed-veflel with fix cells, is an accidental fporting of 

 nature. If this flrufture of the fruit be natural, it will afford 

 not a fpecific but a generic diftinftion. 



For the introduction of this valuable acquifition to our 

 gardens, we are indebted to Sir Joseph Banks, who in- 

 ftru6ted feveral perfons trading to Canton, to inquire for the 

 Moutan, the name by which it is known in China ; in confe- 

 quence of which numerous fpecimens were fent to this country, 

 moft of them however perifhed in the voyage. Since that 

 time feveral varieties have been imported in a growing ftate, 

 but we have not feen any that were remarkable for the fra- 

 grance of their flowers. 



Propagated in China by feeds, the only way to obtain 

 new varieties, alfo by parting the roots, by' layers and 

 cuttings, and they generally inoculate the buds of different 

 varieties upon the feveral branches of the fame root. When 

 the time of flowering approaches, they carefully remove all 

 fuperfluous buds, and proteft thofe that are left from the 

 fcorching heat of the fun. It is fufficiently hardy to bear the 

 cold of our climate, but to have it bloom well it is neceffary 

 to proteft it by a glafs frame. The fined fpccimen we have 

 feen, and from which our drawing was taken, is at Mr. 

 Greville's, at Paddington, where it is planted in the ground, 

 and has a glazed building erected over it without flues. This 

 plant bears a profufion of blofloms ; it does not rife very high, 

 but divides into feveral branches near the ground, and, 

 fpreading in a cirular form, meafures about nine yards in 

 circumference. 



Flowers in May and June, and fometimes with us perfects its 

 feeds in September and Oftober. Introduced about the year 

 3 794- 



