Mr. Anderson's Monograph of the Genus Paonia. 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 

 varietiis 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- 

 guislicd from anomala, with which only it can be confounded, by 

 its trect flowers, more obtuse foliage, and above all by its having 

 more than one flower on its stem, a property possessed by no 

 herbaceous Pieouy 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. 

 a. vestalis ; foliolis latioribus planis purpurascentibus, corolla albi- 



cante octo-petala, stigmatibus ochreis, caulibus 2 — 3-tioris. 

 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 yellow. ...» 



/3. Candida; foliolis latioribus planis saturate viridibus, corolla pal- 

 lide carnea octo-petala, stigmatibus carneis, caulibus bifloris. 



Mr. Sabine found this variety at Mr. Knight's nursery, in the 



KingVroad. He had it from the Liverpool botanic garden under 



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