Peter Broussalis

THE GENUS PAEONIA IN GREECE

in: Physis (Athen) 1978 14: 10-14, 38-39

Peonies are among the most attractive wild plants and therefore draw the attention of all kinds of flower lovers. In order to survive, they retreated to the remotest and most inaccessible valleys of the mountains. Even there, they are not out of danger as in many villages they are gathered on Good Friday to decorate the traditional "epitaphios". An even greater danger is the ever increasing gathering of these plants by botanists who usually take the whole plant complete with its roots. Certain taxa, like P. parnassica and P. mascula ssp. rhodia, should be classified, in the I.U.C.N. Red Data categories, as V (Vulnerable) and most of the others as R (Rare) or T (Threatened).

The genus Paeonia presents, in Greece, many taxonomic problems. D. B. Tzanoudakis, a student of the Botanical Institute of the University ofPatras, has attempted in his thesis "A cytotaxonomic study of the genus Paeonia in Greece" to solve these problems and we thus have now a better idea of both the morphology and the geographical distribution of the Greek representatives of the genus.

Mr. D. Tzanoudakis has studied a large number of populations and by using additional morphological criteria, such as the form of the roots, number and size of the stipules at the stem base, colour of stems, form and number of sepals, types of leaf division, etc., has recognized 4 species and 4 subspecies of Paeonias in Greece. (See distribution map).

The second part of the thesis is a cytological investigation which unfortunately we cannot review in this short resume. It is interesting however to note that it is once more concluded that, at least in some genera, the chromosome numbers cannot be considered as a reliable taxonomic character.

Of the 8 taxa recognized in Greece, 1 species and 2 subspecies are described as new. We give below a short description of the 8 taxa.

Paeonia mascula (L.) Miller. The most common species with broad and almost undivided sections of leaves. It occurs, with its 3 subspecies, in a broad belt in central Greece, extending from the Ionian islands to Lesbos and Samos. The typical form has flowers 9-11 cm in diameter of a deep rose colour. The root is a central rhizome. Lesbos, Samos, S. Euboea, Boeotia. Synon. P. corallina Retz.

P. mascula ssp.russi (Biv.) Cullen & Heywood. A close relative to the previous species with rose coloured flowers. It blossoms much earlier than the other species when the stem and the leaves have not attained their full development. A plant of the central Mediterranean islands which reaches the western part of Greece: Leucas, Cephallonia, Zante and mountains of Acarnania. Synon. P. russi Biv.

P. mascula ssp.hellenica Tzanoudakis. A newly named subspecies which covers the large white-flowered peonies of Euboea, Andros, Attica and Mt. Taygetus. The laeves are broad and undivided and the flowers may exceed 15 cm in diameter.

P. mascula,ssp.icarica Tzanoudakis. Also a newly named subspecies closely related to the previous one. The leaves are somewhat narrower and slightly pointed with dense hairs underneath. Mt. Atheras of Ikaria.

P. peregrina Miller. The peony of northern Greece. A plant of S.E. Europe which in Greece occupies a broad zone extending from the Evros district to the island of Lcucas. The leaves are more divided than in the previous species with narrow segments and have bristles along the main vein above. The flowers are of medium size (8-12 cm) and mostly bright red. Mountains of Evros district, Panghaion, Thassos island, W. Macedonia, Epirus, Phtiotis (Mt. Othrys) and Leucas. Synon. P. decora G. Anderson.

P. parnassica Tzanoudakis. A new description and a new name for the blackish-red peony of Mt. Parnassus. Differ from the other species not only by the deep coloured flowers but also by the presence of a dense pilosity on the stem and the leaves. An endemic plant of Mt. Parnassus and Mt. Helicon.

P.clusii F. C. Stern. The peony of Crete and Karpathos. The leaves are much divided with narrow segments and the flowers are comparatively small (7-9 cm.), white or rarely flushed pink. Rhizone cetral. Mts of Crete and Karpathos. It is interesting to note that the plants although morphologically identical are diploid in W. Crete and Karpathos and tetraploid in the in-between populations of E. Crete. Syn. P.cretica Sab.

P.clusii ssp.rhodia (W. T. Steam) Tzanoud. The white peony of the mountains of Rhodes. Closely resembles the previous one but has somewhat wider and thinner leaf segments. It is considered by some as an intermediate form between P.clusii and P.mascula. Synon. P.rhodia Steam.

The above taxonomical arrangement may be considered as satisfactory and it certainly helps in solving many problems. Particularly interesting is the recognition of the Parnassus plant as a separate species, under the name P.parnassica. This species is certainly different from the others and the confusion existing until now is surprising: Boissier considered it as P.peregrina var. latifolia, Halacsy as P.russi and Steam as P.arietina. Equally satisfactory is the recognition of the controversial large white peony of Euboea as a separate taxon: P. mascula ssp. hellenica. If we have a slight reserve to express, it is on the treatment of the rhodian peony. We believe that the geographical isolation — even with the known affinities with the plants of Crete-Karpathos — and the morphological differences could be considered as sufficient to maintain the specific rank of the plant with the name P.rhodia given to it by W.T. Stearn.

The thesis of D. Tzanoudakis is a thorough botanical investigation and a positive help to the study of the many problems that the flora of Greece still presents. It is also a proof of the interesting work carried out at the Botanical Institute of the University of Patras under the guidance of Prof. D. Phitos.