F.C. Stern A Study of the Genus Paeonia

14. P.Russi Bivona, StirP.Rar. Sic. DescriP.Man. 4, ia (1816) ; DC. Prodr. 1, 66 (1864) ; Presl. Fl. Sic. 1, 26 (1826) ; Duby, DC. Bot. Gall. Ed. 2, 1, 18 (1828) ; Gussone, Fl. Sic. Prodr. 2, 29 (1828), et Fl. Sic. Syn. 2,1,26 (1843); Mutel, Fl. Franc. I, 38 (1834) ; Bertoloni, Fl. Ital. 5, 396 (1842) ; Loudon, Ladies' Fl. Gard. Orn. Perenn. 1, t. 12 (1843) ; Grenier & Godron, Fl. France, 1, 52 (1848) ; Cusin & Ansberque, Herb. Fl. Franc. 1, t. 152 (1867); Marsilly, Cat. Vase. PI. Indig. Corse, 14 (1872) ; Baker in Gard. Chron., N. Ser. 22, 9 (1884) ; Lojocono Pojero, Fl. Sicula, 1, i, 53 (i888); Lynch in Journ. Roy. Hort. Soc. 12, 436 (1890); F. C. Stern in ibid. 68, 126 (1943).Syn. P.corallina var. pubescens Moris, Fl. Sardoa, 1, 64, t. 4 (1837) ; Briquet, Prodr. Fl. Corse, 1, 580 (1910). P.corallina var. pubescens f. hypoleuca Briquet, Prodr. Fl. Corse, 1, 581 (1910).P.corallina var. Russi (Biv.) Cosson, ComP.Atlant. Fl. 2, 53 (1886) ; Huth in Engl. Bot. Jahrb. 14, 267 (1891) ;Hire, Rev. Fl. Croat. (Rod. Jugoslav. Akad. 167, 117) I, 446 (1906); Ascherson & Graebner, Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 5,. 551 (1923).P.corallina var. Russi {. hypoleuca (Briq.) Ascherson & Graebner, I.e. (1923). P.corallina !. ovatifolia (Boiss. & Reut.) Rouy & Foucaud, Fl. France, 1, 144 (1893), non Boiss. & Reut. P.corallina f. Russi (Biv.) Rouy & Foucaud, I.e. (1893). P.corallina f. triternata (Pallas) Rouy & Foucaud, I.e. (1893), non Pallas. P.mascula var. Russi (Biv.) Gürke in Richter, PI. EuroP.2, 401 (1903).

P.officinalis L. sec. Ucria, Hort. Panhorm. 225 (1789), non L. P.officinalis subsP.corallina var. triternata (Pallas) Fiori & Paoletti, Fl. Anal. Ital. 1, 527 (1898), non Pallas.P.officinalis var. Russi (Biv.) Fiori & Paoletti, Ic. Fl. Ital., fig. P.188 (1899) ; Fiori, Nuovo Fl. Anal. Ital. 1, 670 (1924). P.Revelieri Jordan in Jordan & Fourreau, Ic. Fl. EuroP.2, 38, t. 322 (1903).

Description. Stem glabrous, 24-35 cm. high. Leaves regularly disposed along the stem, decreasing in size towards the apex, up to 22 cm. long ; lower leaves biternate, leaflets usually 9, occasionally 10 by bifurcation ; leaflets ovate to elliptic, apex acute to subacute or almost cuspidate, 2'5-9 cm. occasionally 12 cm. long, 2-5 cm., rarely to 8 cm. wide, green and glabrous above, pale green and pilose beneath, entire ; the terminal one borne on a distinct petiolule. Flowers 8-12 cm. across. Petals obovate to almost orbicular, rose-coloured. Stamens 1-1.5 cm. long, filaments red, anthers 3-4-5 mm. long, yellow. Carpels 3-5, densely tomentose. Follicles t cm. long.


 


 


 


 

 

Rus.lei

Russi leaf

 

Rus.rev

 


Distribution. corsica : Olmi-Gapella, Mabllle 102 (K), Cousturier (K) ; Perticato, Requien (K) ; Soveria, near Corte (P). sardinia : near Pula, Mailer (K, BM) ; Mt. Spada, Thomas (K) ; Mt. Limbardo, Recerchon 291 (K, P) ; Bullei,prov. Sassari, Fiori & Tiana 1813 (K.). sicily : Palermo, Parlatore (K), Mount Cuccio, near Panomum, Huet du Pavilion (K) ; sine loc. Tineo (K).

Paeonia Russi belongs to the subsection foliolatae with entire leaflets which are ovate to elliptic with the apex acute to sub-acute or almost cuspidate. The terminal leaflet, being borne on a distinct petiolule, is another characteristic of this paeony and its varieties, var. Reverchoni and var. leiocarpa. This petiolule is shorter on the Sicilian specimens than on these specimens from Sardinia and Corsica. The drawing of the leaf is from a Sicilian specimen as this Paeony was first described from material from Sicily.

P.Cambessedesii is allied to them by the shape of the leaves, but differs in being glabrous in all its parts, in lacking the distinct petiolule, and in other characters which are referred to under that species. P.Cambessedesii is a diploid, and P.Russi var. Reverchoni and P.Russi var. leiocarpa are tetraploids ; it has not been possible to obtain the chromosome numbers of P.Russi itself.[end page 63]

In Corsica it is found mainly on the north of the island near Gorte and Olmi-Capella.

It was named by Bivona after D. Joachim Russo Cassinensis. The plate in the Botanical Ine, t. 3431 (1835), does not represent P.Russi, and it is difficult to say which paeony it •present.This plant is seldom seen in cultivation. [end page 64]