9. P.Mlokosewitschi Lomakin in Trud. Tiflis Bot. Sada, 2, 282 (1897) ; Busch in Kusnezow, Busch & Fomin, Mat. Fl. Caw. Crit. 3, iii. 14 (1901) ; Bot. Mag. t. 8173 (1908) ; Gard. Chron., Ser. 3, 44, 70, cum tab. (1908) ; Rev. Hort. 1911, 431, figs. 184, 185; Saunders in Nat. Hort. Mag. 13, tab., P.226 (1934); Meyer in Gartenfl. 84, 176 (1935) ; Komarov, Fl. U.R.S.S. 7, a6 (1937) ; F. C. Stern in Journ. Roy. Hort. Soc. 68, 125 (1943).

Description. Stem glabrous, up to i m. high. Lower leaves biternate ; leaflets broadly oblong or oval to ovate or obovate, apex subacute to rounded and shortly cuspidate, 6-5-10 cm. (rarely to 12 cm.) long, 3-5-6-5 cm. wide, dark green and glabrous above, glaucous and sparsely pubescent with very short curved hairs below. Flowers 8-12 cm. in diameter. Petals slightly concave, broadly obovate, yellow. Stamens up to 2-5 cm. long, filaments yellow, anthers yellow. Carpels 2-4, densely tomentose, stigma light pink or yellow. Follicles 3-5 cm. long.

Distribution. eastern central caucasus : Kakhetia, near Lagodekhi, Mlokosewitsch 57 (L).

The specimens of Paeonia Mlokosewitschi described are those collected by G. Mlokosewitsch near the village of Lagodekhi in eastern central Caucasus in April 1900 and April 1903 ; they were kindly lent to Kew by the authorities of the Leningrad Herbarium.

P.Mlokosewitschi differs from P.Wittmanniana var. nudicarpa in the tomentose carpels, and in the leaflets which are more rounded at the apex, while the underside of the leaves are sparsely covered with short curved hairs instead of being villous. The colour of the filaments is yellow instead of crimson and the flowers are of a deeper yellow. It differs from P.Wittmanniana in all these characters with the exception of the tomentum on the carpels.

It further differs from these two yellow-flowered Caucasian paeonies in being a diploid while they are tetraploids. As far as is now known P.Mlokosewitschi is found in one small district in the woods of the central Caucasus. It was discovered by Miokosewitsch in 1900.

Some of the seedlings raised from seed of this species have produced pale yellow flowers with the filaments pink instead of the usual yellow.

This paeony has been sometimes confused with P.daurica which is also a diploid, but the latter can be easily distinguished by its leaflets, which are oblong-oval to orbicular with the margins undulate and somewhat upcurved and by its rose-red flowers.

P.Mlokosewitschi is perhaps the most beautiful of all the yellow paeonies of the Caucasus. The flowers are of a deeper yellow than any of the others. It flowers in April and is a first-class garden plant of the easiest cultivation: it is perfectly hardy in gardens in the south of England. [end page 54]