THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Pseonia continued. 



densely pubescent beneath, cut into thirty to forty oblong-lanceo- 

 late segments, Jin. to lin. broad. Stem about 1ft. long, one- 

 headed, densely pilose. Not very distinct from P. paradoxa. 

 (B. R.474; L. B. C. 1263.) 



FIG. 4. FLOWERING BRANCH OF P^ONIA MOUTAN. 



P. Moutan.* Moutan Preony. jl. various in colour, very large. 

 May. Carpels small, numerous, densely pilose. I., leaflets entire 

 at base, often cut in the upper part into oblong, acute segments, 

 glabrous on both surfaces, moderately firm, not at all decurrent 

 on the rachis. Stems shrubby, copiously branched, h. 3ft. 

 Widely cultivated in China and Japan. 1789. Fig. 3 repre- 

 sents a single-flowered, and Fig. 4 a double-flowered, variety 

 of this beautiful species. (B. M. 1154.) Garden varieties: 

 Anneslei (T. H. S. vi. 482, 7), Bankgii (A. B. R. 448 ; B. R. 379), 

 Humei, papaveracea (A. B. R. 463; B. M. 2175; L. B. C. 547), 

 Rawesii, and rosea (A. B. R. 373 ; L. B. C. 1035). 



P. officinalis (officinal).* /., sepals unequal, the inner obtuse, 

 the outer acute and leaf-like ; petals dark crimson, much imbri- 

 cated, obovate or nearly orbicular, liin. to 2in. broad ; stamens 

 4in. long; anthers rather shorter than the filaments. May. 

 Carpels two or three, ovoid, densely tomentose, lin. long when 

 mature. I. five or six to a stem, glabrous, paler beneath, the 

 lowest with fifteen to twenty lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 

 acute, confluent leaflets, lin. to 2in. broad. Stem stout, one- 

 flowered, glabrous, 2ft. to 3ft. long. South Europe, 1548. The 

 commonest species in gardens, especially in the double-flowered 

 form. (B. M. 1784.) P. lobata is regarded by Mr. Baker as a 

 dwarfer variety, with narrower and more numerous leaf seg- 

 ments. 



P. paradoxa (paradoxical). /. on very short peduncles. May. 

 L, lower ones cut up into from thirty to forty acute, confluent 



FIG. 5. FLOWERING BRANCH OF PJEOMA TENUIFOLIA FLORE-PLENO. 



Pseonia continued. 



segments, iin. to Jin. broad, the largest not more than liin. to 

 2in. long. Stem 1ft. to ijft. high, with never more than a 

 single flower. Otherwise like P. perefirina, of which it is " not 

 in any broad sense more than a variety " (Baker). (S. B. F. G. 19.) 

 P. peregrina (foreign). /. on a short peduncle ; inner sepals 

 orbicular, Jin. to lin. long, outer with leafy points; petals five to 

 ten, bright crimson, 2in. long, Uin. to 2in. broad. May. Follicles 

 two or three, erect-arcuate, Jin. in diameter ; stigmas folded 

 together. I. five or six to a stem, dull green and glabrous above, 

 id pilose beneath, the lower with fifteen to twenty oblong, 



acute segments, lin. to liin. broad, the longest 3in. to 4in. long. 



tein lift, to 

 South Europe, 1629. Common in cultivation. 



2ft. long, one-headed, pubescent towards the top. 

 s, 1629. Common in cultivation. (B. M. 1050.) 

 SYN. P. pubens (B. M. 2264). 



P. pubens (downy). A synonym of P. peregrina. 



P. Russi (Russ's). Follicles finely pubescent. I. thin in texture ; 

 segments ovate or oblong. Stem 1ft. to lift. long. Otherwise 

 like P. corallina, of which, according to Mr. Baker, it is scarcely 

 more than a variety. Sicily, &c. 



P. tenuifolia (slender-leaved).* Jl. solitary, erect, surrounded by 

 the crowded, reduced upper leaves ; sepals orbicular, iin. to Jin. 

 long ; petals dark crimson, elliptic-cuneate, liin. long ; anthers 

 shorter than the filaments. June. Follicles two or three, not 

 inore than iin. long. I. ten to twelve, cut up into very numerous, 

 linear, one nerved, confluent segments, less than one line broad. 



Stems one-headed, glabrous, 1ft. to l^ft. long, densely leafy up to 

 the flower. Root-tubers fascicled, with creeping stolons. Tran- 

 sylvania to the Crimea, &c., 1765. A well-known and very 

 distinct type. (B. M. 926.) P. hybrida and P. laciniata are 

 varieties with broader leaf-segments. The double state, a hand- 

 some garden plant, is shown in Fig. 5. 



P. triternata (triternate). fl., outer sepals leaf-like, inner 

 obtuse ; petals six to eight, rose-red, obovate, 2in. to 2iin. long. 

 May. Follicles two to four, densely tomentose, spreading from 

 the base when mature. I. five or six to a stem, glabrous, pale 

 green above, glaucous beneath, with broad, oblong or obovate 

 leaflets, obtusely rounded at the apex, with a small cusp, not 

 confluent at the base ; the side ones often 2in. broad, and the end 

 one obovate or orbicular, Sin. to 4in. long and broad. Stem lift. 

 to 2ft. long, one-flowered, glabrous. Tubers thick. Caucasus, &c., 

 1790. Allied to P. corallina. SYN. P. daurica. (A. B. R. 486 ; 

 B. M. 144L) 



FIG. 6. FLOWERING BRANCHES OF P^ONIA WITTMANNIANA. 



P. Wittmanniana (Wittmann's).* fl. borne on a short peduncle ; 

 sepals orbicular, the longest over lin. long ; petals orbicular, 

 yellowish-white, 2in. long ; filaments longer than the small 

 anthers. April. Carpels glabrous, with a small, spirally-curved 

 stigma. I., lower ones biternate, with usually not more than 

 three segments in each division ; leaflets thin, often liin. to 2in. 

 broad, ovate, acute, dark green and glabrous above, hairy below. 

 Stems one-headed, h. 2ft. Caucasus and North Persia, 1842. A 

 well-marked species, but rare in cultivation. See Fig. 6. 

 (B. M. 6645.) 



Varieties. These are very numerously represented in 

 both of the sections to which reference has been made in 

 the foregoing cultural notes. Many produce flowers of an 

 extraordinary size, and colours range in them through 

 almost every variety and shade; they are also fragrant, 

 and well adapted for travelling in a cut state. Subjoined 

 is a selection, which comprises many of the best sorts : 

 Double Herbaceous Pasonies. June-flowering (varieties of 

 P. albijlora). AMABILIS, satin rose ; AMBROISE VERSCHAFFELT, 

 rich purple, fragrant ; ATROSANGUINEA, purple, golden anthers; 

 AUGUSTEVAN GEERT,rose-pink; BELLE DOUAISIENNE, white, laced 

 purple ; BLANC, pure white (see Fig. 7) ; BOSSUET, magenta-rose ; 

 BUCKII, intense crimson-purple, rose scented ; CARNEA ELEGANS, 

 delicate pink, shading to white ; CHARLES BINDER, rich magenta- 

 rose ; DECAISNE, deep rose, fragrant; DECAXDOLLE, fine rose, 



