Mr. ANDERSON'S Monograph of the Genus Peonia. 257 
fixed marks of distinction between the nine plants enumerated 
below, and are obliged to conclude that they all belong to one 
original species. In their relative connexion, the three double 
varieties from China are the furthest apart, yet they differ from the 
others only in degrees of comparison; in the essential. points there 
appears to be no discrepancy whatever. ‘This species is distin- 
guished from anomala, with which only it can be confounded, by 
its erect flowers, more obtuse foliage, and above all by its. having - 
more than one flower on its stem, a property possessed by no 
herbaceous Pæony but itself. Nor ought we to omit mentioning 
the seed, the uniform brown colour of which is peculiar to this 
species, and serves materially to confirm our Opinion, those of all 
the other herbaceous species being black when ripe. 
e. vestalis ; foliolis latioribus planis purpurascentibus, corolla albi- 
cante octo-petala, stigmatibus ochreis, caulibus 2—3-floris. 
P. albiflora. Andr. Repos. 64, bona. 
This variety, obtained by Mr. Sabine from Messrs. Lee and 
Kennedy under the name of albiflora, perhaps more common 
among our gardens than any other, is to be distinguished by its 
white eight-petalous corolla, rarely and slightly tinged with pink 
at the base. Cymes of two or three flowers; the middle flower is 
the strongest, the earliest, and always the shortest. ‘This observa- 
tion indeed applies to most of the species. Leaves broader, more 
flat and shining; and these and the stem, together with the peti- 
oles, are altogether of a darker hue than most of the others. The 
stigmas are of a dull yellowusisciictaosoie 
B. candida ; foliolis latioribus planis saturate viridibus, corolla pal- 
. lide carnea octo-petala, stigmatibus carneis, caulibus bifloris. 
Mr. Sabine found this variety at Mr. Knights nursery, in the - 
King’s-road. He had it from the Liverpool botanic garden under 
YOL. XII. 2L = the 
