84 



Albiflora is by far the most interesting and important species of 

 the herbaceous group of peonies. It is a native of a vast range 

 of territory from the northern regions of Siberia down to the 

 dominions of China. Pallas found it in Mongol Tartary and on 

 the borders of Lake Baical. It was found also on Mount Caucasus. 

 The roots are used as an article of food by the Tartars, and the 

 seeds reduced to powder are mixed with their tea. It is very 

 hardy to withstand cold and has given rise to hosts of valuable 

 varieties. It can be easily recognized from all other common 

 species of peonies by its character of usually bearing more than 

 one flower upon a stem (Dickson, 1849). A variety of this {Tar- 

 tarica) was imported by Mr. Bell of Brentford, England, and was 

 secured from Pallas, who obtained it in Tartary. The variety 

 Sihirica was sent to England from Siberia by Pallas. Whitley was 

 imported from China in 1808 by Mr. Whitley, a nurseyman of 

 Fulham. Humei was introduced into England by Sir Abraham 

 Hume in 1810 through Captain Welstead. Fragrmis was brought 

 from China by Sir Joseph Banks in 1805 (Anderson, 1817). 

 Loureiro, in his book " Flora Cochin-Chinensis," states that this 

 species is found now both wild and cultivated all over the Chinese 

 Empire, but chiefly in the northern provinces, and concludes that 

 a great many valuable acquisitions may yet be secured from that 

 quarter. (Sabine, 1816, Baker, 1884). 



2. Pcconia officinalis, Linn. 



Anderson states in his monograph that this species is native in 

 the mountainous woods of Helvetia, Provence, Montpellier, 

 Daui)hine, Piedmont, Carniola, the Cjrecian islands, and most of 

 the hilly regions of the south of Europe. Omer in his " Flora 

 Espaiiola " states that it is frequent in Spain, particularly on the 

 mountains of Avila. 



The history of this species may boast of great antiquity. There 

 can be no doubt that this was the Piieonia of Pliny to which such 

 great medicinal virtues were ascribed, and that it was this species 

 also that gave the name to the genus. Pcconia was the name 

 bestowed upon the plant by the ancients in memory of Paeon, the 

 physician, whom Homer records as having cured Pluto with 

 this herb when he was wounded by Hercules. The -laur.ia of 

 Dioscorides appears by his very particular description evidently to 

 be this plant also. 



Two varieties of officinalis, one a double red and another a 

 double white, were described in Johnson's Gerarde in 1636, and 



