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42 
PAONIA albiflora. @. 
Esculent Peony. 
POLYANDRIA DIGYNIA. 
PHONIA. (Capsule polysperme, intis dehiscentes. Petala re- 
gularia.) Cal. pentaphyllus aut 5-partitus. Pet. 5. Germ. 2-5, (cincta 
membrana communi varie profunditatis); styli 0; stig. 2-5, capitata. — 
Caps. tomentose; semina’ ovalia, succo rubro colorata. Folia sep 
mugna,. \-2-pinnata, aut 1-2-ternata, foliolis lobatis ; flores subsolitarit 
terminales magni, varie purpurei aut rarids albidi.. Jussieu. gen. 234. 
P. albiflora, foliis biternatis : foliolis ovato-lanceolatis integris nudis 
capsulis recurvatis glabris. Willd. sp. pl. 2. 1222. 
Peonia albiflora. Pall. ross. 1. 92. t. 84. Hort. Kew. ed. 2. 3. 316. 
Georgi beschr. des russ. reichs. 3. 4. 1049. ‘ 
P, lacteo flore, foliis utrinque viridantibus et splendentibus. Amman. ruth. 
77. n. 103. ~Gmel. fi. sib. 4. 184. n. 13. ; etry 
(«) P. albiflora. Andrews’s reposit. 64. % 
(8) P. edulis. Salisb. parad. lond. 78. 
(7) P. albiflora flore pleno. Andreas’s reposit. 612. 
Herba perennis. Rhizoma tubera plura fusiformia demittens. Caulis 2 
vagina radicali, erectus, ri tidus, crassitudine calami, viv angulosus,’ sesqui- 
bipedalis. Folia alterna, distantia petiolo longo stricto, biternata et modd 
eerie divisa ad simplicia atque integra ; foliola horizontalia, ovali-lanceolata, 
saturaté viridia in nervis rubentia, glabra, subtis lucida pallida et varicoso- 
nervosa, margine ciliolato-asperiuscula, ad summum sesuncialia latitudine 
biunciali. Flores subtrini, solitarii, axillares summo terminali, Jastigiantes, 
pedunculo longo Joliolis nonnullis vagis diminutis stipato. Cal. persistens ex 
JSoliolis herbaceis cum aliis coloratis oblato-rotundatis tntermiztis. Cor. petala 
8-10, albo-erubescentia, obovata, rotundata, margine summa integra v. den= 
ticulato-erosa, sesqui-biuncialia. Germ. sepiis 3, rariis 5, glabrata, rubras 
membrana perigyna brevissima, plicattém corrugata margine inequabili, hic 
indé fissa; stig. continua, glabra, laminosa, ovata, introrsim complicantia, 
_ extrorsum recurvata. 
A hardy herbaceous perennial plant, native of the fur- 
thermost parts of Siberia. The root, which consists chiefly 
of a fascicle of parallel cylindrically tuberous fibres, is said, 
in the “ Flora rossica,” to be used by some of the Tartar 
tribes, as an article of food; and its seed reduced to pow- 
der, as an ingredient of their tea. The bloom of the present 
variety is large and showy, diffusing a very powerful, and — 
to some people not unpleasant scent. The species was in- 
troduced by the Chevalier Pallas in 1784. Flowers about 
