Mr. Ax pz nsox's Monograph of the Genus Paonia. 251 
questionable, are noticed as such in their proper places. I have 
rejected many synonyms of the old authors, from motives of cau- 
tion: butI am inclined to believe that every species enumerated 
by them refers to some one or other of the plants here recorded. 
It was deemed necessary to be more particular in describing 
the varieties than is customary in a scientific paper; not only be- 
cause some of these may hereafter turn out to be distinct species, 
but also with a view to render the tract useful to cultivators as 
well as to botanists ; and by referring each plant at present known 
to the old authors, in all cases in which they can be followed, to 
guard in future, as much as possible, against the confusion which 
their inaccuracies have produced. E 
I have rejected the folium ternatum in the specific characters, 
as being common to the whole: and for the same reason I have 
avoided in the descriptions the repetitions of such terms as caulis 
uniflorus, caulis angulatus, petioli supra canaliculati. The number 
of stamina is also omitted, as being very indefinite. 
_ There are two parts, however, in the organization of the Pzonies, 
which appear to me to deserve more attention than has been paid 
to them; but they attracted my notice when it was too late for 
me to avail myself of them: viz. the shape and number of the 
stipule attached to the caudex, and the form and structure of the 
perigynous substance which belongs to ‘all the species. These 
may perhaps hereafter form important objects for specific distinc- 
Gon Mundi: 04 HR UE Lot ^ie iio. 
. All the species hitherto known are confined to the northern he- 
misphere, and no one has yet been found in an y part of America. 
They belong to cold climates. Some species indeed are indige- 
nous in the south of Europe; but they grow upon elevated situ: 
ations. . They are, as far as has yet been tried, sufficiently ha rdy 
to stand our winter unprotected. use 
2x2 . PZEONLE 
