accepted name (2005):
synonym of Paeonia arietina Anders.
Lynch 1890
20. P. arietina, Anders.—
The largest species of this section. It is well marked by decurrent leaflets, with strongly arched and even recurved carpels when mature. South of Europe.
var. Andersoni.—
Leaves blue glaucous green. Corolla deep rose, petals slightly crisped. Perhaps native of the Levant.
var. cretica (P. arietina oxoniensis, Anders.; P. cretica, Clusius).
Leaves pale green. Corolla pale rose, or nearly white, petals lacerated. This is one of the earhest of Paeonies, and may be known as it comes out of the ground in spring by the pale glaucous green colour of the leaves. Mountains of Crete.
Ascherson & Graebner 1923
Synopsis der mitteleuropäischen Flora 5, II, 546-558.Leipzig 1923
b. Cretica. Blattlappen lanzettlich, etwa l cm breit, an der Spitze vorgezogen, spitz, unterseits fast kahl. Blüthen getrocknet gelblich. Fruchtblätter filzig, zur Fruchtzeit verkahlend. Nur auf Creta; vielleicht in Gärten.
P. cretica [Clus. Hist. t. 281] Sabine in Bot. Reg. X t. 819 (1824). — P. arietina [beta] oxoniensis Anders, in Transact. Linn. Soc. XII. 276 (1817). — P. arietina [beta] carnea DC. Prodr. 66(1824). — P. peregrina [beta] glabra Boiss. Pl. Or. I. 97 (1867). — P. peregrina [delta] cretica Huth in Engl. Jahrb. XIV. 270 (1891). — P. feminea c. cretica Gürke in Richter-Gürke Pl. Eur. II. 403 (1903),
P. arietina. Referred by Kew to P. peregrina. "Not distinct from peregrina in a broad sense. ' — Baker.
Flowers dark red, 4 inches in diameter. (Bot. Reg., Pl. 819, var. cretica.)
Varieties:
Andersoni
Baxteri
cretica
Crown Prince
Diogenes
Excelsior
Matador
Max Leichtlin
Northern Glory
oxoniensis. Syn. cretica
Penelope
Purple Emperor
Rosy Gem
PEONY SPECIES .
280/281
Such of these varieties as I have had in cultivation have not shown themselves to be particularly desirable, the shades of red inclining too much toward a dull and purplish color.
The variety cretica has been sometimes given specific rank. It often goes under the name P. arietina oxoniensis. It is said to be one of the first peonies to bloom, coming even before P. tenuifolia. The flowers are pale rose or nearly white. The plant occurs wild in the mountains of Crete.
Stern 1946
P.arietina Anderson in Trans. Linn. Soc. London, 12, 275 (1818) ; DC. Prodr. 1, 66 (1824) ; Baker in Card. Chron,, New Ser. 22, 10 (1884) ; Lynch in Joum. Roy. Hort. Soc. 12, 440 (1890) ; Bailey, Stand. Cycl. Hort. 5, 2435 (1916) ; F. C. Stem in Jown. Roy. Hort. Soc. 68, 127 (1943).Syn: ...P. arietina var. cretica (Sabine) Lynch, I.e. (1890)....
It is uncertain, if the historical concept of cultivars of Paeonia arietina has anything to do with the species we recognise as Paeonia arietina nowadays. The majority of the historical Arietina-cultivars is extinct (with the exception of Paeonia 'Northern Glory')
