MYTHOLOGY, AND HISTORY OF THE PEONY 



2. P. ALBiFLORA {wMte flowcred) — Improved type — 

 (see frontispiece and numerous other col- 

 our plates and half-tones), with red, pink, 

 white, mauve or yellowish flowers of sev- 

 eral forms, single, semi-double, crown, bomb, 

 rose, etc., and many of them fragrant. 

 This is the most important and interesting 

 species of the herbaceous group and is the 

 principal one grown to-day. It is sometimes 

 called P. sinensis or Chinese peony. 

 The primitive type of P. albiflora — from its 

 name, presumably white — is a native of a vast 

 range of territory from the central regions 

 of Siberia to central China. Its early history 

 is entirely in China and Japan: it was not 

 known in Europe prior to 1656. 



The improved type was obtained: 



(a) By importation into- Europe from 

 Siberia or China about 1850. 



(b) By crossing P. albiflora (either the 

 imported primitive type or the im- 

 ported improved type) and certain 

 little-known species, e.g., P. pere- 

 grina (foreign), P. arietina (ram's 

 horn fruited), etc. 



(c) By crossing P. albiflora (either the 

 imported primitive type or the im- 

 ported improved type) and P. offici- 

 nalis. This crossing, done chiefly 

 since 1850, is probably the origin of 



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