Hunting for the first wild peonies! After 2 hours of search on the slope in northern Sichuan, close to Maoxian, we gave up. Last year there were 5 or even more shrubs, told our guide. Nearby we had already a Cardiocrinum-finding, but no peonies on the hill. Than we found the plants – a farmer from the village had dug all the plants he could find and planted them in his garden, side by side with plastic tins and empty bottles. On the way back to the hotel we stopped in the Forestry station, where our guide works, and he had also one plant.
Species: Paeonia decomposita subsp. rotundiloba
Location: N-Sichuan, near Maoxian, Ming-river valley
Altitude: 2200m
Size of natural population: maybe 1 or two plants left, the rest is destroyed
