Angiosperms (Flowering Plants) • Earth.com

Anomalous peony

(Paeonia anomala)

galery
en

Description

Paeonia anomala is a species of herbaceous perennial peony. This plant is ½-1 m high, with a thick irregular taproot and thin side roots. The deeply incised leaves have leaflets which are themselves divided in fine segments. It flowers in early summer, almost always with only one fully developed flower per stem, magenta-red or rarely pink or white. The species occurs in a zone between northern European Russia and northern Mongolia and south to the Tien Shan Mountains. In garden cultivation, it requires full sun or half-shade and well-drained soil. Double-flowered forms are found in cultivation. Paeonia anomala is a non-woody species of peony ½–1 m high, with an irregular carrot-shaped taproot over ½ m long and 2 cm thick, gradually getting thinner downwards with slender side roots. Like all diploid peonies, it has 10 chromosomes (2n=10). P. anomala is known from Russia, ranging from the Kola Peninsula to the Altai Republic and Lake Baikal, northeastern Kazakhstan, China (northwest Xinjiang) and northern Mongolia. It has become naturalized in Finland. It grows in relatively moist circumstances like coniferous and deciduous forests, valleys and meadows, at the southern end at 1000–2500 m altitude, but further north down to sea level. Its northernmost population in the Taz River valley, grows in a forest with dwarfed trees like Larix sibirica, Betula pubescens, Alnus viridis subsp. fruticosa, Sorbus aucuparia subsp. sibirica, shrubs like Rosa majalis, Lonicera pallasii, Ribes spicatum subsp. hispidulum, and grasses like Calamagrostis canescens. P. anomala is self-fertile. Mammals, such as deer or rabbits do not eat it. P. anomala used to be grown in botanical gardens, but is now becoming available for gardeners as an ornamental. It is easy to grow and prefers a neutral or slightly alkaline, deep rich soil, but is also coping with lime. It does equally well in sun or dapple shade. Plants are intolerant of waterlogged or very dry soil. On sandy soils plants generally produce more leaves and less flowers. As can be expected from a species from Siberia, it survives temperatures down to at least -25 °C. The plants have good ornamental value and may survive in gardens for at least 50 years. This peony inhibits the growth of adjacent plants, especially legumes. All peonies dislike disturbance of their roots, and need time to recover after being replanted or divided.

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum:
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order:Saxifragales
Family:Paeoniaceae
Genus:Paeonia
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