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PiEONIA tenuifolia; var. plena.
Double-flowered fiiie-leaved Paony.
Linnean Class and Order. POLYANDRIA DIGYNIA
Natural Order. RANUNCULACEiE. Juss. gen. p 2Z\.
PM O N IA . Suprà fol. 238.
P. tenuifolia, foliis biternatim multipartitis glabris ; laciniis linearl-angustissimis
acutis, floribus subsessilibus, ovariis erectis tomentosis.
Paionia tenuifolia. Linn, sp.pl. p. 748. Linn. fil. dec. \. p. 9. t. 5. Pall,
ross. 2. p. 95. t. 87. (bona). Willd. sp. pl. 2. p. 1223. Sims in bot.
mag. t. 926. Ait. hort. kew. ed. 2. v. 3. p. 316. Marsck à Bieb. fl.
taur. cauc. 2. p. 11. Decand. syst. 1. p. 394. prodr. 1. p. 66. G.
Don, gen. syst. gard. ^ bot. 1. p. 66.
P. foliis linearibus multipartitis. Gmel. sib. 4. p. 185.
ß. plena, flore multiplici.
Root perennial, fasciculate, consisting of numerous thick
and fleshy fibres, attenuated towards their origin. Stems
erect, cylindrical, glabrous, green, about a foot high, simple,
leafy, especially towards the apex. Leaves alternate, stalked,
glabrous, green, finely divided into numerous, very narrow,
linear, pointed, almost subulate segments. Flowers solitary,
terminal, larger than the single variety, of a rich crimson.
Sepals 5, concave, glabrous, entire; 2 outer ones acute,
3 inner, rounded-oval. Petals numerous, obovate, notched,
and crenated at their upper margin. Ovaries 2 or 3, erect,
thickly tomentose.
This lovely variety was introduced -some years ago by
Mr. Goldie, Nurseryman at Ayr, fro'm the Imperial Botanic
Garden at St. Petersburg, the plant having been presented
to him as a great rarity by Dr. Fischer, the learned and
zealous director of that splendid establishment. The single-
flowered variety has been long cultivated in our gardens,
having been introduced by the uncle and predecessor of the
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