FLOWERS OF GARDEN AND GREENHOUSE 
cultivated Most of the species are very suitable for cultivation 
Species. and large as the number of garden varieties is, there is 
little room to doubt that many more will be produced. The great 
number of stamens, and the fine colours of the petals, render the manu¬ 
facture of good doubles a comparatively easy matter, and the greater 
the number of original species that are brought into general cultivation, 
the larger will be the list of varieties produced by cross fertilisation. 
Pasonia albiflora (white-flowered). 2 to 5 feet; the long smooth 
stalks are often branched towards the summit, and bear from two to 
five flowers. The leaves are of a brighter hue than usual in the genus, 
and sometimes the veins and the edges of the leaflets are tinged with 
red The leaflets are 3 or 4 inches long, often running together at the 
base. There is usually a simple leaf a little below the flower, and 
immediately beneath the calyx a couple of leafy bracts. The flowers 
are from 4 to 6 inches across, fragrant, normally white, but under culti¬ 
vation they exhibit various degrees of coloration in yellow, rose, 
crimson, and purple; some self-coloured, others streaked or striped 
Flowers May and June. The follicles in this species are not more than an 
inch long, smooth and recurved. The natives of Mongolia use its tubers 
and seeds as food, hence one of its synonyms is P. edvlis. Plate 13. 
P. cor allin A (coral-red). 2 to 3 feet; stem unbranched, bearing 
one flower; leaves smooth; flowers 3| to 4 inches across, crimson- 
rose; May. Tubers spindle-shaped Long known to grow on Steep 
Holmes Island in the Severn, but introduced, not native. Known in 
gardens as the Male Peony. Europe. 
P. decora (comely). 2 to 3 feet; stem smooth; leaves hairy beneath; 
flowers solitary, purple; May; follicles, woolly, two or three, spreading. 
Thrace. 
P. humilis (lowly). 1 \ to 2 feet; stem hairy near top; leaves dark 
green and smooth above, downy beneath; flowers solitary, bright red; 
May. Europe. 
P. Moutan (Chinese Meu-tang —King of Flowers). 3 to 5 feet; stems 
much branched, woody, forming a shrubby bush, with flowers much 
larger than those of any other Peony, pure white, pink, rose, crimson, 
purple, single, double or semi-double. The parent of all the garden Tree 
Peonies. Flowers May. See Frontispiece to present volume of this work. 
P. officinalis (of the shops). 2 to 3 feet; stems stout, smooth; 
leaves smooth, dark, paler beneath, lobes unequal; flower solitary, with 
unequal sepals, petals deep crimson; carpels, two or three, densely woolly; 
flowers May. Much cultivated in gardens (especially the double form) 
under the name of Female Peony. Europe. Plate 14. 
