F.C. Stern A Study of the Genus Paeonia

40. P.humilis Retzius, Obs. Bot. 3, 35 (1783); Willdenow, L. SP.PI. 2,1222 (1800), et Enum. Hort. Berol. 572 (1809); Aiton, Hort. Kew. Ed. 2, 3, 316 (1811) ; Bot. Mag. t. 1422 (i8ii); DC. Syst. 1, 392 (1817); Smith in Rees, Cycl. no. 8 (1819) ; Koch, Syn. Fl. Germ. Helv. Ed. 2, P.28 (1843) ; Baker in Gard. Chron., N. Ser. 21, 779 (1884) ; F. C. Stem in Journ. Roy. Hort. Soc. 68, 129 (1943).Syn. P.feminea Mill. var. humilis (Retz.) Gürke in Richter, PI. EuroP.2, 402 (1903) ; Coutinho, Fl. Portug. 240 (1913). P.feminea rac. humilis (Retz.) Sampaio, Prodr. Fl. Portug. (in Ann. Sc. Acad. Polyt. Porto, 4-6), 8 (1909-11). P.leiocarpa Jordan in Jordan & Fourreau, Ic. Fl. Eur. 2, 38, t. 320 (1903).P.microcarpa Boissier & Reuter, Pugill. PI. Nov. 3 (1852) ; Amo y Mora, Fl. Fanerog. Penins. Iber. 6, 747 (1873) ; Baker in Gard. Chron., N. Ser. 21, 779 (1884) ; Mariz in Bull. Soc. Brot. 4, 112 (1886) ; Sampaio, Adic. e Corr. Fl. Portug. (in Bull. Soc. Brot., Ser. 2, 7), 30 (1931) ; non Salm-Dyck (1834).P.modesta Jordan, I.e. 38, t. 321 (1903).P.officinalis L. sec. Gouan, Fl. MonsP.266 (1765) ; Asso, Syn. StirP.Indig. Aragon. 68 (1779) ; non L. emend. Willd. P.officinalis var. humilis (Retz.) Ascherson & Graebner, Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 5, ii, 556 (1923). P.paradoxa Anders. var. leiocarpa DC. Prodr. 1, 66 (1824).P.peregrina Mill. var. ft DC. Fl. France, 5 (6), 643 (1815) ; DC. Syst. 1, 391 (1817) ; Koch in Flora, 24, ii, 441 (1841) ; Pouzolz, Fl. Gard. 1, 33 (1856) ; Costa, Introd. Fl. Cataluna, 9 (1864) ; Coste, Fl. France, 1, 56, c. fig. (1901) ; Bonnier, Fl. Compl. France, Suisse, Belg. I, t. 22 [1911] ; Cadevall & Salient, Fl. Catal. 1, 57, c. fig. (1915) ; plerumque pro parte.P.peregrina var. humilis (Retz.) Huth in Engl. Bot. Jahrb. 14, 270 (1891).P.peregrina b leiocarpa (DC.) Cosson, Notes PI. Now. Pares Crit.fasc. 3, 93 (1851) ; Willkomm & Lange, Prodr. Fl. HisP.3, 975 (i88o) ; Colmeiro, Enum. y Rev. PI. Penins. Hisp.-Lusit. 1, 87 (1885) ; Lovet & Barrandon, Fl. Montpellier, Ed. 2, P.18 (1886), Gautier, Cat. Rais. Fl. Pyr.-Or. 71 (1898) ; Lazara e Ibizia, CamP.Fl. Espan. 2.357(1907).P.peregrina f. leiocarpa (DC.) Rouy & Foucaud, Fl. France, 1, 145 (1893). P.peregrina f. microcarpa (Boiss. & Reut.) Rouy & Foucaud, I.e. 146 (1893).P.villosa Desfontaines, Tabl. Ecole Bot. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, 126 (1804), et in Du Mont de Courset, Bot. Cult. Ed. 2, 4, 462 (i8ii), nom. illeg.

Description. Stem glabrous or hairy, 26-40 cm. high. Lower leaves biternate, but the leaflets deeply cut into numerous (30 or more) oblong or elliptic segments which are acute to subacute and often lobed, green and glabrous above, paler and villous to densely tomentose below; petiolules and petioles generally villous. Flowers 9-13 cm. across. Petals obovate, red. Stamens 1.5-1.7 long, filaments red, anthers yellow. Carpels 2-3, glabrous or sub-glabrous. Follicles 2.5-3.5 "-


 

 

 


Distribution. Spain and southern France. spain : Padron de Bien Servida, Bourgeau 894 (K); Cerro de Maihotte, near Escorial, Winkler (K) ; Albacete, Sierrae de Alcarez, Porta & Rigo 289 (K) (P) ; Sierra de Teruel, Camarena, Reverchon 750 (K) ; Hoyoquesero, near Madrid, Graells (K); Hoyoquesero in Sierra de Gredos, Bourgeau 2353 (K); Old Castille, near Bahabon, Rayneval (K) ; ladraque, Peter Ban (K). france : Pyrenees Orientales, Fort-Sarrel (Forceral), near Perpignan, Petit (K); Abeillas, near Banyules-de-mer, Petit (K); Port Vendres, Guillon (K). Herault, Montpellier, Satzmann (K) ; Pie de St. Loupe, Planchon (K) ; Gard, Pont du Gard, Audibert (K).

Paeonia humilis is the most westerly species of the Officinalis grouP.It extends from the centre of Spain to the eastern Pyrenees as far as the Montpellier district of southern France. It differs from P.officinalis in having smaller leaflets not so deeply dissected and shorter and relatively broader segments with blunter apices. The leaves also are villous below and the carpels glabrous or slightly pilose. The average measurements of the segments of P.officinalis are 8-11 cm. long by [end page 104] 1.5-2.5 cm. wide, while those of P.humilis are 4-6 cm. long by 1-2 cm. wide. Some botanists have described this paeony as a dwarf plant and many dried specimens and plants grown in gardens are dwarf but some herbarium specimens are just as tall as those of P.officinalis.

In the Montpellier district, growing in the same area as P.humilis, there is another paeony closely allied to P.humilis, which from Anderson's (1818) description has become generally known as P.paradoxa. As it only differs from P.humilis in its tomentose carpels I am treating it as a variety of P.humilis under the name of P.humilis var. villosa

P.humilis is often found in gardens and is of the easiest cultivation. It seeds itself freely. [end page 105]