VARIETIES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS 



peonies for the enthusiastic collector are added. 

 These Short Lists are lettered A, B, C, D, E and 

 F, and are referred to in column 4 of the Main 

 List. 



The varieties of P. albiflora which I give in 

 the Main List, together with the species de- 

 scribed in Chapter IV, are the most striking and 

 beautiful peonies for our gardens. Species such 

 as P. arietina, P. corallina, P. decora and others 

 are best left for ardent collectors to study and 

 experiment with: for while extremely interest- 

 ing as members of the peony family and pos- 

 sibly useful for hybridisation, they lack size, 

 charm and variety of colour. Although the her- 

 baceous peonies of Japan have much merit and 

 are well worth a place in our gardens, it is im- 

 possible to give an extended list of their names 

 that would be dependable. As the peonies ordered 

 from Japan seldom come true to description or 

 even twice alike, the direct importation of these 

 peonies must be undertaken as a pleasing game 

 of chance. One or two growers in this country 

 and in France have propagated from imported 

 Japanese stock, and from these growers a few, 

 but only a few, good ones can be obtained with 

 assurance of getting what is ordered. 



73 



