CHAPTER IX 



THE TREE PEONY— DESCRIPTION 

 AND HISTORY 



P^ MOUTAN— the tree peony — differs from 

 . the herbaceous peony in having woody 

 stems that do not die down to the ground in the 

 Autrnnn. This is the most noticeable structural 

 difference. The leaves are dissimilar in outline 

 from and are usually of a paler shade of green 

 than those of the herbaceous peony (albiflora 

 type) . The buds are much larger and flatter and 

 are raised to a sharp point in the centre. They 

 lack any honey secretion and are of the same 

 colour as the leaves. 



The tree peony is like the herbaceous in that 

 its flowers have both single and double forms. 

 The flowers of the tree peony, however, usually 

 attain a larger size. 



While the tree peony has much in common 

 with the herbaceous peony, it has so much that is 

 distinct that I have thought best to treat it sep- 

 arately. The tree peony has a more extended 



187 



