8(3 
HISTOEY OF THE PiEONY PLANT IN CHINA AND JAPAN. 
The communications relating to the two sorts given by the Chinese NaturaUst 
Le she chin, in his work " Phitsaou Kang ynuh,'" (pubhshed in 1596), is not uninteresting. 
The following is an extract of what he states upon the subject : — 
" The name Sho yo, given to the common sort, signifies ' most beautiful,' which name, 
without doubt, it really deserves ; this sort serves in its native country for a Forget-me-not, 
which one friend presents to another when called to separate from each other. A Sho yo 
plant is received for a friendly remembrance after separation, which custom has created a 
Chinese song, saying — 
" ' Will any one rejoice his friend with a present, 
Of course he gives the most beautiful of all ; ' 
and it has also given occasion to its name Le tsaoii, ' a plant to take leave with.' " 
The improved sort bears the name of Mow tan, " male scarlet flower," in consequence of 
its propagation (although occasionally from fruit and seeds) being principally effected by 
dividing the roots ; and it got its nam.e of scarlet flower, on account of the scarlet-coloured 
sort being considered the principal one. 
The Mow; flower resembles the so-called " most beautiful," of which the stems are 
hard-wooded and perennial. The Thang-landers (inhabitants of Nan yang, in the south- 
east part of the province Honan) for this reason give it the name of Miih Sho yo,\ or 
" tree-like most beautiful " (Pseonia Moutan). In the flower-garden, the Mow tans claim 
the first place in point of beauty, and the Sho yos take the second rank ; the former 
are occasionally named Hivd ivang,l " king of the flowers," and the latter Hwd sedng, § 
" the king's ministers." 
The most ancient author in China, Hung king (f 536), considers the mountains called 
Tseang shan, Pih shan, and Maou shan, as the places where the best white-rooted plants 
can be found, and considers the scarlet one, found elsewhere, very inferior in medicinal 
virtue. 
The original native country of the Mow tans is there stated to be the valleys of Pa keun, 
in the district of Han chung, on the easterly part of the province Sse chuen, and the neigh- 
bouring south part of Shen se, or the country about the two rivers Kea lin keang and 
Han keang. 
About these places also, the roots of the Moiv tans are brought to market as a medicine, 
for which purpose they are taken out of the ground, and slowly dried in some shaded situation. 
The same author also mentions a pale rose-coloured sort, which was at that time grown 
in the province of Tung keen. The distinction of the Sho yo family into white and red- 
coloured sorts, adopted by Hung king, is also supported by Mas ze, " horse dealer," another 
author upon Natural Philosophy, who wrote about 968 — 975. 
In the early part of the eleventh century the Sho yo plant was, according to Soo sung, 
distributed all over China, and the most valuable roots were considered to come from the 
country of Hwae gan foo (situated 33° 32' 24'' N.Lat., 116° 54' 12" Long, easterly from 
Paris). The description of the plant given by that naturalist is as follows :-— 
" From the red heads, which make their appearance above the surface of the ground 
early in spring, a compact bush is formed one to two feet high; each stem is furnished with 
five three-lobed leaves, being narrower and longer than those of the Moiv tan plant, to which 
they, however, bear much resemblance. At the early part of summer a red, white, or 
purple flower developes itself, producing afterwards a fruit resembling the Mow tan fruit, 
but of a smaller size ; the harvest of the roots takes place in autumn." 
Tsuy paou, an author of more recent date, distinguishes two sorts of Sho yos, viz. 
Tsaou Sho yo, or " the herbaceous one," and Muh Sho yo, or " the tree-like one." 
According to his statement, the latter one produces larger flowers and of a darker colour, 
and is known among the lower class (although erroneous) by the name of Mow tan. 
* The original word <S/«c» yo, has afterwards been changed with the same-signifying word 
0 yo, of equal meaning to SJio, " medicine." Loxireiro being a Portuguese, in his " Flora Cochinchincnais " has ut 
is word, Xo yo. 
