AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



Feeonia continued. 



glass early in the season ; they may be gradually forced 

 to flower in February ; but this renders them useless for 

 a similar purpose for some two or three years after- 

 wards. To maintain an annual exhibition indoors, three 

 sets of plants should therefore be provided, one being 

 introduced every third year. In pots, it is almost im- 

 possible to provide a too rich soil. 



Propagation of herbaceous Pseonies is effected by 

 division; but this should not be practised more than is 

 really necessary, because of its weakening influence on 

 the parent plant. Large clumps soon form when they 

 are well manured and left alone; they should not be 

 planted too deeply. The Tree, or Moutan, varieties are 

 grafted on the stout, fleshy roots of the herbaceous species, 

 principally P. albiflora and P. ojficinalis. August is a 

 good time to graft. The scions should be selected without 

 flower-buds, and united to the stock-root, which should 

 then be potted and plunged amongst ordinary soil in a 

 frame, allowing the soil to cover the scion up a little 

 way. If the frames are closed, and a slight shading 

 applied, a union will generally soon take place, when 

 air may be gradually admitted, but the plants may 

 remain undisturbed till spring. Propagated also by 

 layering, and sometimes by division. 



Fio. 2. FLOWERING BRANCH OF P^EONIA ALBIFLORA. 



P. albiflora (white-flowered). /. on a peduncle, more pro- 

 duced than in P. officinalis, often with a large, simple leaf just 

 below the flower, and one or two large, foliacepus outer sepals ; 

 petals usually white or pink, but variable, liin. to SSn. broad. 

 May and June. Follicles often three or four, less than lin. 

 long. I., leaflets often confluent at the base, oblong, acute, 3in. 

 to 4in. long, lin. to liin. broad, glabrous, brighter green than in 

 other species, often coloured at edges, and the veins also red ; 

 lower leaves with about five segments in each of the three 

 divisions. Stems 2ft. to 3ft. long, glabrous, often branched, two 

 to five-flowered. Siberia, 1548. The roots are sometimes eaten 

 by the Mongolian Tartars. See I ig. 2. Svx. P. edulu. 

 Varieties : fragrans (B. B. 485), Hwnei=sinensis (B. M. 1768), 

 tatarica (B. R! 42), wriflora (B. M. 1756), vestali* (A. B. R. 64), 

 and Whitlcyi (A. B. R. 612; B. R. 630). 



P. anomala (anomalous), ji. solitary; outer sepals produced 

 into long, often compound, leafy points ; corolla bright crimson, 

 4in. in diameter, with about eight obovate or oblong petals, lin. 

 to liin. broad ; stamens iin. to Jin. long. May. Follicles about 

 three, ovoid, lin. long. I. ten to twejve, cut into numerous 

 confluent, lanceolate, acute segments, liin. to 2in. long, thirty to 

 forty to the lower leaves, paler below. Stem 2ft to 3ft. long. 

 Roo't-tubers large, and fusiform ; stolons none. Europe, Ac., 

 1788. SYNS. P. Fischeri, P. intermedia. (A. B. R, 514 ; B. M. 

 1754.) 



Pseonia continued. 



P. arletina (ram's-head-like). JL, corolla dark red, 4in. in 

 diameter. May. Follicles three or four, densely tomentose, 

 ovoid, spreading almost horizontally from the base, lin. long. 

 I. five or six on a stem, pale green or glaucous, and pubescent 

 beneath ; segments oblong or oblong-lanceolate, copiously con- 

 fluent, not more than lin. to liin. broad, about thirty in the 

 fully developed lower leaves. Stem 2ft. to 3ft long, hairy 

 upwards, single-flowered. South Europe. Allied to P. pcregrina. 

 SYN. P:-etica(B. R.819). 



P. Brownil (Brown's). Jl. on a short peduncle ; outer sepals 

 leaf-like ; corolla globose, not more than lin. in diameter ; petals 

 dull red, brighter towards the edges. May. Follicles four or 

 five, oblong, lin. long. I. five or six, decompound, with very 

 numerous, small, oblong, obtuse or sub-acute, copiously con- 

 fluent segments, gin. to $in. broad. Stems one-headed, not more 

 than IJft. long, bending over, till the follicles touch the ground. 

 North America, 1826. Probably not now in cultivation. SYN. 

 P. ealifornica. (B. R. xxv. 30.) 



P. ealifornica (Californian). A synonym of P. Srovmii. 



P. corallina (coral-red), fl. on a short peduncle ; outer sepals 

 leafy, lanceolate, inner obtuse ; petals six to eight, crimson or rose- 

 red, obovate or sub-orbicular, 2in. to Sin. long. May. Follicles 

 three, four, or rarely five, spreading from the base when mature, 

 ljin. long. I. five or six to a stem, glabrous, paler beneath, 

 biternate, with nine distinct, oblong, acute segments, the side 

 ones lin. to liin. broad, the end one sometimes 2in. broad, and 

 reaching a length of Sin. to 4in. Stem 2ft. to 3ft long, one- 

 headed. Tubers fusiform. Europe (not native of Britain), Asia 

 Minor. 



P. cretica (Cretan). A synonym of P. arietina. 



P. danrloa (Dahurian). A synonym of P. triternata. 



P. decora (decorous), fl., outer sepals broad, and leafy ; petals 

 six to eight, crimson, liin. to 2in. long, lin. broad. May. Fol- 

 licles two or three, tomentose, ovoid, very thin, diverging widely 

 when mature, i. five or six to a stem, pale green or slightly 

 glaucous, red at the margins, glabrous, or slightly pilose beneath ; 

 segments numerous and very confluent, thirty to forty to the 

 fully developed leaves. Stem 2ft to 3ft. long, glabrous, one- 

 flowered. Servia, &c. Related to P. arietina. 



P. edulis (edible). A synonym of P. albiflora. 



P. Emodl (Mount Emodus).* fl. white, 3in. to 4in. in diameter ; 

 several of the outer sepals produced into leafy points ; petals 

 unequal, obovate, the outer liin. to ljin. broad. March. Follicles 

 one or two, ovoid, iin. in diameter. 1. thin, glabrous, paler 

 beneath ; lower ones with twenty to thirty lanceolate, or oblong- 

 lanceolate, very confluent, acuminate segments, lin. to IJin. 

 broad. Stems 2ft. to 3ft. long, two or three-flowered when at all 

 luxuriant. Himalayas, 1868. Rare in cultivation, but a tine 

 plant (B. M. 5719.) 



P. Fischer! (Fischer's). A synonym of P. anomala. 



P. humilis (dwarf), ft. on a short peduncle ; calyx with often 

 one to three very compound leaves from its base ; petals bright 

 red, orbicular, 2in. long. May. Carpels two or three, lin. long, 

 iin. in diameter. I. five or six to a stem, the lower with twenty 

 to thirty oblong, acute, copiously confluent segments, Jin. to Jin. 

 broad, dark green and glabrous above, pale and pubescent 

 beneath. Stems lift, to 2ft. long, one-headed, hairy towards the 

 top. South of France, 1633. A well-known garden plant 

 (B. M. 1422.) 



FIG. 3. FLOWERING BRANCH OF P^OMA MOUTA.X. 



P. hybrida (hybrid). A form of P. tenvtfolia. 



P. intermedia (intermediate). A synonym of P. anomala, 



P. laciniata (torn). A form of P. Unutfolia. 



P. lobata (lobed). A form of P. officinalis. 



P. mollis (soft), fl. like those of P. ojficinalis and P. ptregrina, 

 but smaller and duller in hue. May. Follicles similar, densely 

 pilose. I. five or sis, crowded, dull green above, glaucous and 



