Paeonia in the Mediterranean—Caucasus HONG De-Yuan May 7 2005
Laboratory of Systematic & Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
Presentation on the International Peony Symposium in Munich

Introduction

Paeonia in the Mediterranean
(Akeroyd: Fl. Europ. 1993)

P. broteri

P. cambessedesii

P. Clusii

ssp. clusii

*ssp. rhodia (Stearn) Tzanoud.

P. coriacea Boiss. (P. mascula ssp. coriacea (Boiss.) Malag. (1975)

P. officinalis

ssp. officinalis

ssp. microcarpa

ssp. huthii

ssp. banatica

P. kesrouanensis ----P. turcica group

P. kesrouanensis (Thiebaut) Thiebaut (1936) from Lebanon

P. turcica P. H. Davis & Cullen (1965), Turkey

The P. kesrouanensis-P. turcica group

Conclusion:

1. Only one species: P. kesrouanensis.

P. turcica should be treated as a synonym.

1. P. kesrouanensis is a tetraploid, 2n=20, in Lebanon, Turkey and Syria (Slenfi)

Systematic position of P. arietina G. Anderson

P. arietina: G. Anderson (1818), accepted by Stern (1946).

P. mascula subsp. arietina Cullen & Heywood (1964), Akeroyd (1993): Fl. Europ.

The identity of Paeonia arietina G. Anderson

Therefore, P. arietina is distinct from P. mascula. It is more closely related to P. officinalis group than to P. mascula.

But question: How is it different from P. officinalis grop?

Conclusion:

1. P. arietina is a distinct species

2. It is more closely related to P. officinalis group than to P. mascula

P. daurica Andrews or P. mascula ssp. triternata (Pall. ex DC.) Stearn & P. H. Davis?

1. P. daurica Andrews (1807) from Tauria (Crimea, Ukraine) = P. triternata Pall. ex DC. (1824) from Crimea (Ukraine)

2. It is a distinct species or just a subspecies of P. mascula (L.) Mill. (1768) (P. mascula ssp. triternata) ?

P. daurica

P. daurica/ P. mascula

P. daurica Andrews/ P. mascula

Conclusion: P. daurica is distinct from
P. mascula

1. P. daurica : leaflets/segments 9, usually rounded at the apex. 2n=10

2. P. mascula: leaflets/segments 10-15, usually acute at the apex. 2n=20

The identity of P. corsica Sieber ex Tausch (1828)

*The peony in Corsica and Sardinia have been variously treated in taxonomy with number of synonyms up to 30 !
*The peony in Corsica and Sardinia was treated as P. mascula ssp. russoi by Cullen & Heywood in “Fl. Europ.” ed. I (1964) and by Akeroyd in “Fl. Europ.” ed. 2 (1993).
*One more species, P.morisii Cesca, Bernardo & Passalacqua, was described as new from Sardinia in 2001.
*P. corsica was described as a new from Corsica in 1828, but neglected by nearly all later taxonomists.

The distribution of P. mascula ssp. russoi (Biv.) Cullen & Heywood (1964)

P. corsica vs. P. mascula (incl. ssp. russoi)

P. corsica vs. P. mascula (incl. ssp. russoi)

2) Number of leaflets/segments of lower leaves

P. corsica vs. P. mascula (incl. ssp. russoi)

2n=10

Conclusion:
*P. corsia Sieber ex Tausch (1828) is a good species, distinct from P.mascula.

*Taxonomic treatment should be:
Paeonia corsica Sieber ex Tausch (1828) Syn: P. mascula ssp. russoi (Biv.) Cullen & Heywood (1964) in Fl. Europaea ed.1 & ed.2 (1993), p. p.
Syn: P. morisii Cesca, Bernardo & Passalacqua (2001)

Paeonia saueri D. Y. Hong, X. Q. Wang & D. M. Zhang, a new species from the Balkan

P. saueri, a new species form the Balkan

It is close to P. peregrina and P. officinalis group.

P. saueri vs. P. peregrina

P. saueri vs. P. peregrina

2) Indumentum on lower side of leaves

P. saueri vs. P. officinalis

Indumentum on stems, petioles & sepals

Paeonia saueri D. Y. Hong, X. Q. Wang & D. M. Zhang

Paeonia saueri D. Y. Hong, X. Q. Wang & D. M. Zhang

Paeonia in the Mediterranean & Caucasus

*P. algeriensis Chabert (1889) (P. mascula ssp. atlantica)

*P. arietina G. Anderson (P. mascula ssp. arietina)

*P. broteri Boiss. & Reut. (nom. conser. against P. lusitanica Mill. 1768)

P. cambessedesii (Willk.) Willk.

P. clusii Stern

ssp. clusii

ssp. rhodia (Stearn) Tzanoud.

P. coriacea Boiss.

*P. corsica Sieber ex Tausch. (P. mascula ssp. russoi; P. morisii)

*P. daurica Andrews (P. mascula ssp. triternata) with 7 subspecies

*P. intermedia C. A. Mey. (P. majko Ketsk.)

The new characters used for taxonomy of Paeonia

New characters valuable for taxonomy

The shape of roots: two types

2) The number of leaflets/segments of lower leaves .
Leaves vary with the position at stems in Paeonia

2) The significance of number of leaflets/segments of lower leaves for taxonomy in the P. suffruticosa group

But no previous authors used this character for taxonomic treatments. They roughly described them as biternate or triternate…….And unfortunately herbarium specimens mostly lack lower leaves!

Field observations and population sampling;
Examination of a large amount of specimens;
Discovery of new valuable characters;
Statistic analysis;
Observations on chromosomes;
Molecular data.

I am grateful to the National Geographic Society for financial support,
to my assistants and colleagues, and
to Dr. Burkhardt for offering me such a wonderful opportunity!