PEONY. 283 



PEONY. 



P^ONIA. 



RANUNCULACE^E. POLYANDRIA DIGYNIA. 



From Paeon, an eminent physician of antiquity. It is also a name 

 given both to Apollo and to Esculapius. French, la pivoine j pione : 

 in the village dialect, herbe de mallet ; flor de mallet. Italian, rosa 

 de' monti [mountain rose] . 



THE Peony, from the nature of its roots, requires very 

 deep pots. There are many and beautiful varieties. The 

 White-flowered Peony is a native of Siberia : it is a hand- 

 some flower, with the scent of the Narcissus. 



The Daurians boil the roots in their broth, and grind 

 the seeds to put into their tea : they call it Dschina. 



The Common Peony is purple or red : there are single 

 and double flowers. It is a native of many parts of Eu- 

 rope, of Mount Ida, China, and Japan. A variety which 

 Miller calls the Foreign, Gerarde calls Turkish, and says 

 it originally came from Constantinople. The Portugal 

 variety is a single flower, but very sweet : this requires a 

 lighter soil and a warmer situation than the other kinds. 

 Although the Peony is better adapted for the open ground, 

 it is too beautiful to be dispensed with, where room can be 

 allowed : the Jagged kind is the least fit for pots, and by 

 far the least desirable. 



The immense crimson flower of the Double-red Peony 

 is scarcely more magnificent than its luxuriant foliage. 



They may be increased by parting the roots, observing 

 to preserve a bud on the crown of each offset, and not to 

 divide them very small: they should be planted three 

 inches deep. It is a hardy plant, and will grow in any 

 soil or situation. They should be kept moderately moist. 

 The Common Peony flowers in May ; the White Peony 

 a month later. 



