45. P.anomala L. var. intermedia (G. A. Meyer) 0. & B. Fedtschenko, ConsP.Fl. Twkest. in Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 18, ii, 216 (1905), et in Isyyestiya Twkest. Otdyela Russ. Gheogr. Obshch. 5, i, 23 (1906) ; Fedtschenko & Fleroff, Fl. Eur. Russ. 413 (1910) ; Fedtschenko, Rastitel 'nost Turkestana, 406 (1915) ; Popov, Descr. PI. Env. Tashkent, 2,120 (1924); F. C. Stern in Jown. Roy. Hort. Soc. 68, 130 (1943).Syn. P.anomala L. sec. Ledebour, Fl. Altaica, 2, 277 (1830), quoad " b cyamiis pubescentibus " ; Turczaninow, Fl. Baical.-Dahur. 1, 88 (1842-45), quoad fS; Baker in Gard. Chron., N. Ser. 21, 828 (1884), pro parte; Lynch in Jown. Roy. Hort. Soc. 12, 434 (1890), pro parte ; non L.P.anomala subsP.intermedia Fedtschenko, Fl. W. Thien Shan. 1, 103-5 (1904), et in Acta Horti. PetroP.23, 351-3 (1904).P.anomala L. var. hybrids (Pallas) Trautv. forma intermedia Trautvetter, PI. Schrenk. (in Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 33), 88 (1860) ; Regel & Herder, Enum. PI. Reg. Cis.-et Transition. Semenov. Coll. (in Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 37, 404), 22 (1864).P.anomala var. typica Huth in Engl. Bot. Jahrb. 14, 268 (1891), non Regel (1861).P.hybrida Pallas var. intermedia (C. A. Meyer) Krylov, Fl. Altaya, 1, 47 (1901), et F/. Sibir. Occ. 5, in 8 (1931) ; Schipczinsky in Not. Syst. Herb. Horti. Bot. PetroP.2, 46 (1921) ; Komarov, Fl. U.R.S.S. 7, 34 (1937).P.intermedia C. A. Meyer ex Ledebour, Fl. Altaica, 2, 277 (1830) ; et Fl. Ross. 2, 74 (1842) ; Ruprecht in Beitr. Pflanzenk. Russ. Reiches, 2, 20 (1845), 7, 6, 49 (1850) ; Schrenk, Reise Tundra Samojeden, 2, 486 (1854) ; Scheutz in Svenska Vet. Acad. Handl. 22, no. 10, P.80 (1888).P.officinalis L. sec. Falk, Beitr. 2, 198 (1785-86), non L. emend. Willd. P.Biebersteimana Ruprecht. P.tenuifolia var. Biebersteimana (Ruprecht), N. Busch (1901) and Grossheim (1930).

Description. Differs from P.anomala in having tomentose carpels.

Distribution. This variety has a very wide distribution, beyond that of the type, extending from the Kola Peninsula to the Altai. kola peninsula : Ponoj, Montell 21 a (K), Fellman 13 (K). central asia : Mt. Inam-Maskara, 2130 metres, A. Regel (K) ; ? " Wiruy," Krassnow (K) ; Sarybulak, 1220-1830 metres, A. Regel (K) ; Alatau Mountains, Lepsa, Sarchan and Aksu Rivers, Karelin & Kirilow 1174 (K) ; Turkestan, sine loc. A. Regel (K) ; Dschasil-Kul, Dzungarian Alatau, Kusetakewicz (K) ; Songaria, Schrenk (K) ; Altai, Ledebour (K) ; Saisansk, F. N. Meyer 75 (K), 863 (K) ; Siberia, sine loc. Herb. W. Besser (K); Pritchouyski Mouyun-Koum, Soulouter ravine, Papryagaljf 66 (L) ; Bukhara, Koulyabskoe, Tcharga district, top of Akron Pass, Divnogorskaya 486 (L) ; Dzhoungar Alataou, district of Altya-Aimelsk Pass 5 Rodin (L), Kirghiz Alataou ; Kegety ravine, Massagetoffand Massalsky J-s8 (L); Souloutour River, 1900 metres, Igolkin is (L). S. Turkestan, Gissar Ridge, S. slopes of Vissokogra, Gontscharow soy (L) ; Semigang River, Koroleva & Nikitin 138 (L) ; Khorangon ravine, 1800 metres, Papryagaljf 351 (L). Semiretchensk region, Veruensky, district town of Verniy, Tailliysky (L), Killoman (L) ; Przhew district, Kougart River, Sapozhuikojf (L). Fergan region, Andizhansk district, Termai-tash Mountains (watershed of Ouroumbash and Kyzylsou Rivers), Minkvitz no8 (L) ; Osh district, Yara-Kourgan River, Knorring 67 (L). Semipalatinsk region, Altai, near Stenitza, Altayskaya, Ladygin 02 (L) ; Zaysansk district, valley of Oulkoum-Tchoumek River, Reylitchenko 1063 (L) ; Zaysansk district, valley ofSayur River, Renylitschenko (L).

P.anomala var. intermedia is distinguished from the typical P.anomala by its tomentose carpels; in other characters it in no way differs, though specimens vary considerably in the breadth of the segments of the leaves. This variety seems to be found in many cases in the same districts as P.anomala.

It was first described by C. A. Meyer (1830) as P.intermedia. He also describes another paeony under the name of P.hybrida, which was the name Pallas had given to a paeony in 1788 in Flora Rossica. It is doubtful what species Pallas intended by this name and, as it is not possible to discover what he meant, this name of P.hybrida has been omitted. Fedtschenko in Flora Thian Shan, P.353 (1904), discusses these plants and says: "in 1860 Trautvetter reunited both with [end page 113] P.anomala and distinguished a typical form with glabrous carpels and variety hybrida with hairy carpels and as a subform of the latter a forma intermedia with broader segments of the leaves." P.N. Kryloff (1901) describes P.anomala and the form with hairy carpels. He says he retains the name intermedia proposed by Meyer because the name hybrida has been applied indefinitely to different forms and because it is doubtful what Pallas really meant by this name.

No weight can be attached to the broader or narrower segments of the leaves, as a criterion of specific difference, especially as this feature seems to be characteristic of both P.anomala and its variety. It would therefore appear to be better to retain the name of intermedia to represent the form of P.anomala with tomentose carpels. In these pairs of paeonies where one only differs from the other by the carpels being hairy or glabrous, the simplest way to name them is to take the one first described as the species and the other as a variety.

P.Biebersteiniana Ruprecht, from the north Caucasus, was described under the name of P.tenuifolia var. Biebersteiniana (Ruprecht) N. Busch by Grossheim (1930) as follows : " upper side of leaf with very short bristles along the veins ; leaf-segments broader, 3-10 mm. broad ; carpels densely tomentose." This description seems to fit P.anomala var. intermedia. The locality from which it is recorded is Stavropol in the Caucasus from which place there are specimens of P.tenuifolia in the Kew Herbarium; as no specimens are known of either of the forms of P.anomala from this locality, it is difficult to say what this plant may be. From the description it would seem clearly to be P.anomala var. intermedia but from the given locality only P.tenuifolia is known. As no specimen is available for examination, this name must remain in doubt.P.anomala var. intermedia is a most beautiful plant for the garden and there is no difficulty in growing it. [end page 114]