PEONY, Pronia, a genus of plants of the natural order ranunculneem; having large flowers, with five persistent, unequal, leafy, and somewhat leathery sepals, 5 to 10 pedals, many stamens, and 2 to 5 germens, which are crowned with a fleshy recurved stigma. The leaves are compound, the leaflets often variously and irregularly divided. The fibers of the root are often thickened into tubers. The species are large herbaceous perennials or rarely half-shrubby; natives of Europe, Asia, and the n.w. of America. 'None of them are truly indigenous in Britain, although one (P. enrallina) has found admittance into the English flora. On account of the beauty of their flowers. some of them are much cultivated in gardens, particularly the COMMON PEONY (P. 01'1cinnIA), a native of the monntain-woods of the s. of Europe, with carmine or blood-red flowers. A variety with double flowers is common.—The WHITE PEONY (P. albillora) is another favorite species. It is a native of the central part of Asia. Its flowers are fragrant. —The luau PEONY, CII1NESE PEONY, or MouTAx (P. mouton), is a half-shrubby plant, a native of China and Japan. In favorable circumstances, it attains a very large size, rod a height of 12 ft. or more. It has been long eultiVated in Cluing and Japan ; and is
ow also a favorite ornamental plan in the s. of Europe, and in the s. of England and Ireland; but the late spring-frosts of most parts of Britain are injurious to it; although it can hear severe frost in winter, when vegetation is at a stand. It flowers in spring. The varieties in cultivation are numerous. It is ptopagated by cuttings, and also by grafting. Its crermens are surrounded by a cup-sheped laciniated membrane.—The roots of most of the peonies have a nauseous smell when fresh, and those of the commou peony were in high repute among the ancients as an antispasmodic—hence the name peony, from paion, a Greek name of Apollo, the god of their medicinal properties are now utterly disregarded. The globose, sldning black seeds of peonies were formerly, in some countries, strung into necklaces, and bung round the .necks of children, as anodyne necklaces to facilitate dentition. The Durians and Mon golians use the root of P. allnylora in their soups, and grind the seeds to mix with their tea.