PjEO^'NIA ED'ULIS. var. Wliitleji. 
EATABLE PiEONY. 
Class. Order. 
POLYANDRIA. DIGYNIA. 
Natural Order. 
RANUNCULACE^. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Introduced 
Siberia. 
2 feet. 
May, June. 
Perennial. 
in 1784. 
No. 311. 
Paeonia is deduced from Pmon, the name of a 
fabulous physician of the ancients. Edulis, from the 
Latin, eatable. 
The old Eng^lish botanists held the Paeony in con- 
siderable estimation; though, from their works, it 
may be inferred that two species were all which 
they could boast of possessing. One of these was 
the Paeonia officinalis, which now is the mo.st com- 
mon in our cottage gardens. But with this they 
were not idle cidtivators, for by raising seedlings 
they obtained varieties which, it is probable, were 
fully equal to any of tbe present day. Tbe rich deep 
colour of the full double flower of the common Paeony, 
is really but little esteemed, yet it is difficult to esti- 
mate with what degree of pleasure we should receive 
such a plant from abroad, were none of the genus 
previously known to this coimtry. Many amongst 
us would, indeed, be lost in admiration of its bold- 
ness. According to Camerarius, plants were sold, at 
Antwerp, in the sixteenth century, at twelve crowns 
each, an important sum at that day. 
Formerly, the herbaceous species only of the 
Paeony, were known in English gardens ; the Moutan, 
