Botany check up Paeonia L.-peony Buttercup family-Ranunculaeae

 

Peony is a member of a not-very –big family-about 20 species. The herbaceous peonies growing in Southeastern Europe are seven different types and the tree peonies comes from Asia The European peonies are perennial herbaceous plants with hairless erect and juicy stem. It reaches a height of 1m from white to deep red color.

The leaves are pinnate and dark green formlessly notched on the top. Flowers are big regular simple or fascicular. They have five separated calyces and five or ten petals with numerous stamens and many seed-vessels (from 2 to 8). Seeds are big the outside is black and the inside is whitish-yellow and glossy. The root is tapered bulbous which outside is reddish-brown and the inside is whitish. The peony is a multifarious plant. It’s roots and flowers are often used to make drugs (medicines). It is widely spread in shrubs and sparse forests 1000-1500m above the sea level. The peonies grow in well, drained good and, rich soil.

PEONY SPECIES and botany features .Of great importance are the following species:

Paeonia lactiflora Pall. 

Paeonia officinalis Retz. 

Paeonia peregrina Mill. 

Paeonia tenuifolia L. 

Paeonia mascula Mill. 

Paeonia arborea Donn.