Paeonia brownii
| Paeonia brownii | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Saxifragales |
| Family: | Paeoniaceae |
| Genus: | Paeonia |
| Species: | P. brownii |
| Binomial name | |
| Paeonia brownii Douglas ex Hook. | |
Paeonia brownii (Brown's peony or native peony), is an herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Paeoniaceae.[1]
The species name is after Scottish botanist Robert Brown.[2]
Habitat and range
It is native to dry climate areas of the western United States. It grows below 10,000' in open areas of sagebrush scrub[1] and mixed coniferous forest (Ponderosa pine country) in the northern and north central Sierra Nevada.[1]
Paeonia brownii and P. californica are the only two species of Paeonia native to North America.[3] P. californica is sometimes regarded a subspecies of P. brownii.[4]
Native to the western United States, P. californica grows in southern California, and subspecies brownii is native to Wyoming and Utah.[2]
The species grows at high elevations and experiences long, cold winters with little or no snow and a short growing season, while subsp. californica is less cold hardy, and is a near-desert succulent, going a year or more without rain.[2]
Description
Growth pattern
It is 8"-16" tall with a flower that hangs down, sometimes to the ground.[1]
Leaves and stem
It has 5-8 blue-green, deeply dissected leaves.
Inflorescence and fruit
It has one or more flowers, 1" wide, often opening facing downward.[1] Corollas have 5-6 green sepals that persist, and are larger than the petals.[1] Petals are leathery and dark maroon to bronze or brown, with yellow tinged edges.[1] Numerous stamens mature from the center outward, born on a fleshy disk.[1] Fruits are cylindrical with a few large seeds.[1]
Flowering occurs in April to June,[1] followed by a long dormancy.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Sierra Nevada Wildflowers, Karen Wiese, 2nd ed., 2013, p. 102
- 1 2 3 Halda, Josef J.; Waddick, James W. (2004). The Genus Paeonia. Timber Press. pp. 196–205. ISBN 978-0-88192-612-5.
- ↑ "Western Peony - Paeonia brownii". Wildflowers of the United States. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
- ↑ "Paeonia californica Nutt.". Plants Database. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
External links
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