[ 1768 ] 
PAONIA EDULIS, var. SINENSIS. 
CHINESE EATABLE PEONY. 
SESE TE ERE ETE ET IR ea See 
Clafs and Order. 
PoLYANDRIA Dicynra. 
Generic Charaéier. 
Cal. 5-phyllus. Petala 5. Stylio. Cap/. 2—12, poly{perme. 
A} ‘pecific Charaéter and Synonym. 
PAONIA edulis ; foliis biternatis : foliolis ovato-lanceolatis 
integris bafi confluentibus nudis, capfulis recurvatis glabris. 
PAONIA albiflora. Bot. Mag. 2. 1756, cum fynonymis? 
The inconvenience of giving names to plants from the colour 
of the flowers, or other circumftances liable to vary, has often 
been pointed out ; and in this inftance the name of albiflora is 
fo perfe€tly abfurd, that we have felt a neceflity of avoiding it. 
We have therefore adopted that of edulis from Mr. SAuisBuRY, 
which we ought perhaps to have done fooner; but we were 
willing to deviate, as little as poffible, from the nomenclature 
ufed in the Hortus Kewenfis. In the prefent inftance, we 
the more readily depart from that authority, becaufe we cannot 
but entertain confiderable doubt, whether the Chinefe plants are 
really varieties of the Siberian. ee 
At firft appearance our plant may appear to be one of the 
varieties of Pxonra Moutan, but the herbaceous ftem, the 
fmaller number of capfules, tuberous roots, and different foliage, 
keep it altogether diftin& from that {pecies. 
Several varieties of this fpecies have been of late introduced 
from China, of which this with large crimfon bloffoms, ap- 
proaching to fcarlet, is the moft beautiful. All of them are more 
or lefs fweet-fcented. Our drawing was made from a fpecimen 
communicated by Sir Asranam HuME, from his very interefting 
colle&tion, at Wormley-Bury, Herts. This gentleman imported 
it from Canton, | 
