Paeonia mlokosewitschii
Encyclopedia
Paeonia mlokosewitschii (Golden Peony or Caucasian Peony) is a species of peony
, native to the Caucasus Mountains
in Azerbaijan
, Georgia
, and Dagestan
, where it grows on rocky slopes in oak
, hornbeam
, or beech
forests.
In 2002, the Chinese botanist Hong Deyuan reduced it to a subspecies of Paeonia daurica, namely Paeonia daurica (Andrews ) subsp. mlokosewitschii (Lomakin) D.Y.Hong 2003.
It is a herbaceous
perennial plant
growing twenty-three to twenty-seven inches (60–70 cm) tall, with biternate, glaucous leaves with obovate lobes. In spring it bears large, single, lemon-yellow flowers five inches (10–12 cm) in diameter, the ovary
pubescent, the two to four carpels white, pink or yellow, and the stamen
filaments yellow-green.
It was discovered by the Polish
botanist Ludwik Mlokosiewicz
in 1897, after whom it was named by Aleksandr Lomakin. The plant is sometimes nickname
d "Molly the Witch", a humorous mispronunciation of the species name, which most non-Poles find difficult to pronounce.
Peony
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...
, native to the Caucasus Mountains
Caucasus Mountains
The Caucasus Mountains is a mountain system in Eurasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the Caucasus region .The Caucasus Mountains includes:* the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and* the Lesser Caucasus Mountains....
in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, and Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
, where it grows on rocky slopes in oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, hornbeam
Hornbeam
Hornbeams are relatively small hardwood trees in the genus Carpinus . Though some botanists grouped them with the hazels and hop-hornbeams in a segregate family, Corylaceae, modern botanists place the hornbeams in the birch subfamily Coryloideae...
, or beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
forests.
In 2002, the Chinese botanist Hong Deyuan reduced it to a subspecies of Paeonia daurica, namely Paeonia daurica (Andrews ) subsp. mlokosewitschii (Lomakin) D.Y.Hong 2003.
It is a herbaceous
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
perennial plant
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
growing twenty-three to twenty-seven inches (60–70 cm) tall, with biternate, glaucous leaves with obovate lobes. In spring it bears large, single, lemon-yellow flowers five inches (10–12 cm) in diameter, the ovary
Ovary (plants)
In the flowering plants, an ovary is a part of the female reproductive organ of the flower or gynoecium. Specifically, it is the part of the pistil which holds the ovule and is located above or below or at the point of connection with the base of the petals and sepals...
pubescent, the two to four carpels white, pink or yellow, and the stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
filaments yellow-green.
It was discovered by the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
botanist Ludwik Mlokosiewicz
Ludwik Mlokosiewicz
Ludwik Franciszek Mlokosiewicz was a Polish explorer, zoologist and botanist, who studied extensively in the Caucasus Mountains.-Life:...
in 1897, after whom it was named by Aleksandr Lomakin. The plant is sometimes nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d "Molly the Witch", a humorous mispronunciation of the species name, which most non-Poles find difficult to pronounce.
Sources and references
- Caucasian Representatives of the Genus Paeonia: 5. Paeonia mlokosewitschii
- Ornamental Plants From Russia: Paeonia mlokosewitschii
- Germplasm Resources Information Network: Paeonia mlokosewitschii
- Josef J. Halda and James W. Waddick. The Genus Paeonia. Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-612-4
- A. Huxley [ed.] (1992). The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening 3: 438. Macmillan. ISBN 1-56159-001-0
- Paeonia — Pacific Bulb Society
- BBC Gardener's Question Time Factsheet (1 July 2001)