Peony
Paeonia suffruticosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Saxifragales
Family:	Paeoniaceae
Genus:	Paeonia L.

Peony or paeony is a name for plants in the genus Paeonia, the only genus in the flowering plant family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia,Southern Europe and Western North America. Boundaries between species are not clear and estimates of the number of species range from 25 ^[1] to 40.^[2]

Most are herbaceous perennial plants 1.5 - 5 feet (0.5 - 1.5 metres) tall, but some resemble trees up to 5 - 10 feet (1.5 – 3 metres) tall. They have compound, deeply lobed leaves, and large, often fragrant flowers, ranging from red to white or yellow, in late spring and early summer.

Name[link]

The peony is named after Paeon (also spelled Paean), a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower.^[3]

The family name "Paeoniaceae" was first used by Friedrich K.L. Rudolphi in 1830, following a suggestion by Friedrich Gottlieb Bartling that same year.^[1] The family had been given other names a few years earlier.^[4] The composition of the family has varied, but it has always consisted of Paeonia and one or more genera that are now placed in Ranunculales.^[2] It has been widely believed that Paeonia is closest to Glaucidium, and this idea has been followed in some recent works.^[1][5] Molecular phylogenetic studies, however, have demonstrated conclusively that Glaucidium belongs in Ranunculaceae,^[6] but that Paeonia belongs in the unrelated order Saxifragales.^[7]

Classification[link]

A cultivated hybrid peony

Peonies can be classified by both plant growth habit and flower type. Plant growth types are Herbaceous (Bush), Tree, and Intersectional (Itoh).

Each flower type becomes more complex in its arrangement of petals. The flower types include Single (e.g., Athena, Dad, Krinkled White, Scarlet O’Hara, Sea Shell), Japanese (Nippon Beauty, Madame Butterfly), Anemone, Semi-Double (Paula Fay, Coral Charm, Miss America, Buckeye Belle), Double (Ann Cousins, Gardenia, Kansas, Paul M. Wild, Tourangelle) and Bomb-Double (Red Charm, Raspberry Sundae, Mons Jules Elie). Herbaceous peonies die back in winter and regrow in spring, while tree peonies lose their leaves in winter, but leave woody stems.

Intersectional (Itoh) peonies are hybrid crosses between tree and herbaceous types. They have the large flowers of a tree peony, but die back to the ground each year like herbaceous peonies. ^[8]

Chemistry and biological activities[link]

Over 262 compounds have been obtained so far from the plants of Paeoniaceae. These include monoterpenoid glucosides, flavonoids, tannins, stilbenoids, triterpenoids and steroids, paeonols, and phenols.
Biological activities include antioxidant, antitumor, antipathogenic, immune-system-modulation activities, cardiovascular-system-protective activities and central-nervous-system activities.^[9]

The herb known as Paeonia (Bai Shao, Radix Paeoniae Lactiflorae), in particular the root of Paeonia lactiflora has been used frequently in traditional medicines of Korea, China and Japan. Research suggests that constituents in Paeonia lactiflora - paeoniflorin and paeonol - can modulate IgE-induced scratching behaviors and mast cell degranulation. ^[10]

Propagation[link]

Paeonia caucasica

Tree peony

Herbaceous and Itoh peonies are propagated by root division, and sometimes by seed. Tree peonies can be propagated by grafting, division, seed, and from cuttings, although root grafting is most common commercially. ^[11]

Fruit of Paeonia suffruticosa

Species[link]

• Herbaceous species (about 30 species)
  • Paeonia abchasica
  • Paeonia anomala
  • Paeonia bakeri
  • Paeonia broteri
  • Paeonia brownii (Brown's Peony)
  • Paeonia californica (California Peony)
  • Paeonia cambessedesii
  • Paeonia caucasica
  • Paeonia clusii
  • Paeonia coriacea
  • Paeonia daurica
  • Paeonia emodi
  • Paeonia hirsuta
  • Paeonia intermedia
  • Paeonia japonica (Japanese Peony)
  • Paeonia kesrouanensis (Keserwan Peony)
  • Paeonia lactiflora (Chinese Peony, known as 芍藥 "sháoyao" (literally: "most beautiful" ^[12]) in Chinese, "common garden peony")
  • Paeonia macrophylla
  • Paeonia mairei
  • Paeonia mascula (Balkan Peony)
  • Paeonia mlokosewitschii (Golden Peony)
  • Paeonia obovata
  • Paeonia officinalis (European Peony, Type species)
  • Paeonia parnassica (Greek Peony)
  • Paeonia peregrina
  • Paeonia rhodia
  • Paeonia sinjiangensis
  • Paeonia sterniana
  • Paeonia steveniana
  • Paeonia tenuifolia
  • Paeonia tomentosa
  • Paeonia veitchii (Veitch's Peony)
  • Paeonia wittmanniana

• Woody species (about 8 species)
  • Paeonia decomposita
  • Paeonia delavayi (Delavay's Tree Peony)
  • Paeonia jishanensis (syn. Paeonia spontanea; Jishan Peony)
  • Paeonia ludlowii (Ludlow's Tree Peony)
  • Paeonia ostii (Osti's Peony)
  • Paeonia qiui (Qiu's Peony)
  • Paeonia rockii (syn. Paeonia suffruticosa subsp. rockii; Rock's Peony or Tree Peony)
  • Paeonia suffruticosa (Chinese tree peony, known as 牡丹 "mǔdān" in Chinese)

Symbolism and uses[link]

In this gold-engraved lacquerware food tray from the Song Dynasty (960–1279), the two long-tailed birds represent longevity, and the peony seen at the top center represents prosperity

Peony, by Chinese artist Wang Qian, Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368)

Portrait of a peony by Chinese artist Yun Shouping, 17th century

The peony is among the longest-used flowers in Eastern culture and is one of the smallest living creature national emblems in China. Along with the plum blossom, it is a traditional floral symbol of China, where the Paeonia suffruticosa is called 牡丹 (mǔdān). It is also known as 富贵花 (fùguìhuā) "flower of riches and honour," and is used symbolically in Chinese art.^[13] In 1903, the Qing Dynasty declared the peony as the national flower. Currently, the Republic of China on Taiwan designates the plum blossom as the national flower, while the People's Republic of China has no legally designated national flower. In 1994, the peony was proposed as the national flower after a nationwide poll, but the National People's Congress failed to ratify the selection. In 2003, another selection process has begun, but to date, no choice has been made.

The ancient Chinese city Luoyang has a reputation as a cultivation centre for the peonies. Throughout Chinese history, peonies in Luoyang have been said to be the finest in the country. Dozens of peony exhibitions and shows are still held there annually.

In Japan, Paeonia lactiflora used to be called ebisugusuri ("foreign medicine"). Pronunciation of 牡丹 (peony) in Japan is "botan." In kampo (the Japanese adaptation of Chinese medicine), its root was used as a treatment for convulsions. It is also cultivated as a garden plant. In Japan Paeonia suffruticosa is called the "King of Flowers" and Paeonia lactiflora is called the "Prime Minister of Flowers."^[14]

In 1957, the Indiana General Assembly passed a law to make the peony the state flower of Indiana, a title which it holds to this day. It replaced the zinnia, which had been the state flower since 1931.

Mischievous nymphs were said to hide in the petals of the Peony, giving it the meaning of Shame or Bashfulness in the Language of Flowers. While the peony takes several years to re-establish itself when moved, it blooms annually for decades once it has done so.^[15]

Peonies are also extensively grown as ornamental plants for their very large, often scented flowers.

Peonies tend to attract ants to the flower buds. This is due to the nectar that forms on the outside of the flower buds, and is not required for the plants' own pollination or other growth.^[16]

Peonies are a common subject in tattoos, often used along with koi-fish. The popular use of peonies in Japanese tattoo was inspired by the ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi's illustrations of the Suikoden, a serialized novel from China. His paintings of warrior-heroes covered in pictorial tattoos included lions, tigers, dragons, koi fish, and peonies, among other symbols. The peony became a masculine motif, associated with a devil-may-care attitude and disregard for consequence.

Gallery[link]

• 

  Unknown cultivar of Peony

• 

  A cultivar of Paeonia lactiflora

• 

  Paeonia ludlowii (syn. Paeonia lutea var. ludlowii

• 

  Paeonia officinalis 'Rubra Plena' double-flowered cultivar

• 

  Paeonia lactiflora cultivar

• 

  Paeonia officinalis

• Peony2.jpg

  Paeonia tenuifolia

• 

  Paeonia lactiflora cultivar

• 

  Paeonia anomala cultivar

• 

  Ant attracted to peony bud nectar

• 

  Peony Close Up Top View

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikispecies has information related to: Paeonia

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Paeonia

• Family and Suprafamilial Names At: James L. Reveal
• Shuguang Jian et alii on phylogeny of Saxifragales doi:10.1080/10635150801888871
• Paeoniaceae in Topwalks
• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Paeonia
• Flora Europaea: Paeonia
• Ornamental Plants from Russia: Paeonia
• The Peony Society (UK)
• Canadian Peony Society
• U.S. Peony Society
• Carsten Burkhardt's Open Source Peony Project
• German Peony Group
• China Daily article on the 2003 national flower selection process
• Rockii Tree Peony
• Paeonia mascula in the National Park of Alta Murgia, Apulia - Southern Italy

Lisa See is an American writer and novelist. Her Chinese-American family has had a great impact on her life and work.^[1] Her books include On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family (1995) and the novels Flower Net (1997), The Interior (1999), Dragon Bones (2003), Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (2005), Peony in Love (2007) and Shanghai Girls (2009), which made it to the 2010 New York Times bestseller list. Both Shanghai Girls and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan received honorable mentions from the Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature.

Flower Net, The Interior, and Dragon Bones make up the Red Princess mystery series. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and Peony in Love focus on the lives of Chinese women in the 19th and 17th centuries respectively.

Shanghai Girls (2009) chronicles the lives of two sisters who come to Los Angeles in arranged marriages and face, among other things, the pressures put on Chinese-Americans during the anti-Communist mania of the 1950s.^[2] See has completed a sequel titled Dreams of Joy, which was released May 31, 2011.^[3]

Writing under the pen name Monica Highland, See, her mother Carolyn See, and John Espey,^[4] published three novels: Lotus Land (1983), 110 Shanghai Road (1986), and Greetings from Southern California (1988). She has written a personal essay ("The Funeral Banquet") for Half and Half.^[5]

See has donated her personal papers (1973–2001) to UCLA.^[6] During the 2012 Golden Dragon Chinese New Year Parade in Los Angeles Chinatown, See will serve as the Grand Marshal.

Biography[link]

Lisa See was born in Paris February 18, 1955,^[7] but has spent many years in Los Angeles, especially Los Angeles Chinatown.^[8] Her mother, Carolyn See, is also a writer and novelist. Her autobiography provides insight into her daughter's life.^[9] Lisa See graduated with a B.A. from Loyola Marymount University in 1979.^[10]

See was West Coast correspondent for Publishers Weekly (1983–1996);^[11] has written articles for Vogue, Self, and More; has written the libretto for the opera based on On Gold Mountain,^[12] and has helped develop the Family Discovery Gallery for the Autry Museum, which depicts 1930s Los Angeles from the perspective of her father as a seven-year-old boy. Her exhibition On Gold Mountain: A Chinese American Experience was featured in the Autry Museum of Western Heritage,^[13] and the Smithsonian.^[14] See is also a public speaker.

She has written for and led in many cultural events emphasizing the importance of Los Angeles and Chinatown. Among her awards and recognitions are the Organization of Chinese Americans Women's 2001 award as National Woman of the Year and the 2003 History Makers Award presented by the Chinese American Museum. See serves as a Los Angeles City Commissioner.^[15]

Bibliography[link]

• On Gold Mountain: The One-Hundred-Year Odyssey of My Chinese American Family. St. Martins Press, 1995.
• Flower Net. HarperCollins, 1997.
• The Interior. HarperCollins, 1999.
• Dragon Bones. Random House, Inc., 2003.
• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Random House, Inc., 2005.
• Peony in Love. Random House, Inc., 2007.
• Shanghai Girls. Random House, Inc., 2009.
• Chinatown (guidebook), Angels Walk LA, 2003.
• Dreams of Joy. Random House, Inc., 2011.

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Fenby, Jonathan. Modern China. New York: HarperCollins Publishers (2008).

• Gifford, Rob. China Road: A Journey into the Future of a Rising Power. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks (2007).

• Liu, Xian. "Lisa Lenine See". In Asian American Novelists: A Bio-Biblical Critical Sourcebook, pp. 323–331. Ed. Nelson, Emmanuel S. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group Inc. (2000).

• Pan, Philip P. Out of Mao's Shadow. New York: Simon and Schuster (2008).

• See, Carolyn. Dreaming: Hard Luck and Good Times in America. Los Angeles: University of California Press (1996).

External links[link]

• Lisa See's official site
• Lisa See interviewed on Conversations from Penn State
• Lisa See Discussion Group
• Biographical sketch in BookBrowse
• On Gold Mountain: A Chinese American Experience -- the Autry Museum of Western Heritage
• Lisa See Interview with WritersNewsWeekly.com

Lisa See on Her Life and Work[link]

• See interview in BookBrowse
• Lisa See, "The Funeral Banquet", Half and Half, pp. 125-138. Edited by Claudine Chiawei O'Hearn. New York: Pantheon Books, 1998
• "Lisa See at the Mercantile Library" (video), 09/18/2008
• See interviewed by Ron Hogan, 1996
• Lisa See, "China's Lovesick Maidens" (video)
• "Lisa See: Author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Waterbridge Review, 09/2005
• "Lisa See with Daniel Olivas." "The Elegant Variation", 10/03/2007
• Lisa See on Peony in Love Blog Talk Radio, 07/01/2008
• "Conversation with Lisa See and her Mother, Carolyn See"
• Diana Raabe, "Seeing Ghosts: A Conversation with Author Lisa See", 05/10/2008