CROWFOOT FAMILY 



Sepals. — Unequal, concave. 



Petals. — Five to many. 



Carpels.— Two to five, borne on a fleshy disk; stigma recurved. 



Fruit- jolUcles. — Opening when ripe; seeds large. 



It is well known that the magnificent Peonies which adorn our 

 lawns in May and June are the products of the gardener's art. 

 Into the making of these Peonies three species have largely en- 

 tered: Pmonia officinMis, Poionia alhifdlia, and Pxonia moMans. 



Pmonia officinalis, the Red Peony, is the form that, so far as 

 we know, was first cultivated. It is native to southern Europe 

 and south-western Asia, and we may believe that it bloomed in 

 the temple gardens of Tiryns and Mycena;. 



Man coming out of barbarism cultivates flowering plants 

 because of the medicinal properties they are supposed to possess, 

 not because of their beauty; and color of flower or shape of leaf 

 is believed to give the hint of virtues which the plant possesses. 



What, then, more natural than the belief that this great crimson 

 flower possessed virtues for the healing of wounds. The elder 

 Pliny, writing about 70 A. D., after referring to the virtues of 

 Moly, the plant which protected Ulysses from the wiles of Circe; 

 to those of Dodecatheon, sacred to the twelve gods, a plant which 

 has been identified with the pripirose, goes on to say: "The 

 plant known as Paonia is most ancient of them all. It still retains 

 the name of him who was the first to discover it. This plant is a 

 preservative against the illusions practised by the Fauni in sleep 

 (nightmare). It is generally recommended to take it up at night; 

 for if the woodpecker of Mars should perceive a person doing so 

 it will immediately attack his eyes in defence of the plant." 



This ancient belief in the medicinal virtues of the Peony long 

 continued. During the Middle Ages it was supposed to drive away 

 evil spirits, to avert tempests, and to protect houses simply by 

 , growing near them. In England, in comparatively recent times, 

 children wore necklaces of beads which were made of dried 

 portions of the roots, in order to aid dentition and prevent con- 

 vulsions. 



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