Robert Fortune, the great explorer of the Royal Horticultural Society, made four trips to China and introduced many fine plants to England. In 1846, he brought twenty-five of the finest tree peonies ever to come out of China. Among these were 'Atrosanguinea,' 'Berenice,' 'Bijou de Chusan,' 'Dr. Bowring,' 'Globosa,' 'Glory of Shanghai," 'Lord Macartney," 'Pride of Hongkong,' 'Robert Fortune,' 'Samarang,' and 'Zenobia.' These were enthusiastically received and quickly propagated, so that both British and continental nurseries cataloged them in some quantity in the 1860's.
Ab 1840 brachte Robert Fortune, ein britischer Forscher, der beauftragt worden war, Päoniensorten zu importieren, aus China zwei Dutzend schöner Sorten mit, die in den Handel gegeben wurden und gleichzeitig zur Züchtung neuer Sorten dienten.
p. 222: Robert Fortune was the first to go into central China in search of plants. During his travels he visited some of the tree peony nurseries and in 1846 brought back plants to England
p. 231: It was left to Robert Fortune to discover the finest Chinese tree peonies, so long known by legend, and to bring them back to Europe in 1846. The gardening press of the next few years contained many references to his plants, which began to bloom at the Royal Horticultural Society's garden in 1847, and which were named and described as they flowered. Great disappointment was expressed when the "black peony" bloomed and turned out not to be black but merely a very deep purple, and greater still was the disappointment when the wistaria-blue bloomed a very ordinary lilac color. But, on the whole, the reception was most enthusiastic. The plants were propagated and offered by English and continental nurseries so that in the 60's there was a wave of popularity which, unfortunately, was soon checked by their high price (owing to their slow propagation) and their poor growing qualities. Among the twenty-five or more varieties25 were the following which made a permanent impression on tree-peony growing and which, undoubtedly, were the parents of many of the fine seedlings that began to appear on the continent: Atropurpurea, Atrosanguinea, Berenice, Bijou de Chusan (nothing more exquisite than this can be imagined), Dr. Bowring, Globosa, Gloire de Shanghai, Lord Macartney, Pride of Hong Kong, Purpurea, Robert Fortune, Samarang, and Zenobia.
Plants introduced by Fortune from China (excerpt from TREE PEONY CHECK LIST , Boyd, p. 245-271)
Atalante. (Chin.— For., 1846.) V. H. 1873; Kel. 1889; Des. 1902; Pai. 1889.
Atropurpurea. (Chin. — For., 1846.) V. H. 1873; Kel. 1889; Pai. 1889. See Zenobia.
* Atrosanguinea. (Chin. — For., 1846.) Des. 1902; Bar. 1900; Pai. 1889; Lem. 1904; V. H. 1873; Old 1924. Krel. 1867.
* Beauty of Canton. Syn. Reevesiana. D. (Chin.—For., 1846.) H. & S. 1864; Pai. 1889; V. H. 1873; Kel. 1889; Lem. 1892, 1900; Des. 1905, 1899; Old 1924; Krel. 1867; Ler. 1853.
† Bella. (China.—For., 1846.) Gard., Jan. 10, 1885.
* Berenice. Syns. Hebe; Versicolor. D. (Chin.—For., 1846.) H. & S. 1869; V. H. 1873; Bar. 1900; Des. 1905; Kel. 1867, 1889; Old 1924; Pai. 1889.
* Bijou de Chusan. Syn. Jewel of Chusan. D. (Chin.—For., 1846.) Bar. 1900; H. & S. 1864; V. G. 1896; Old 1924; Krel. 1889; G. & K. 1907; Pai. 1889; Des. 1905, 1899.
Camelia. (Chin.—For., 1846.) Gard., Jan. 10, 1885; Krel. 1867.
* Capitaine Champion. (Chin.—For., 1889.) Bar. 1900; Old 1924; Pai. 1889.
* Col. Malcolm. Syns. Reine des Beautés; Sir George Davis. D. (Chin.—For., 1864.) H. & S. 1864; V. H. 1873; Lem. 1892; Old 1924; Krel. 1867; Pai. 1889; Des. 1899, 1905; Bar. 1900.
* Confucius. Syn. Lord Macartney. D. (Chin.—For., 1864.) V. H. 1873 H. & S. 1864; Krel. 1867; Pai. 1889; Des. 1905; V. G. 1896; Bar. 1900.
* Cornelia. Syns. Orgueil de Hong Kong; Souv. de 7 Mai. D. (For., 1867.) V. H. 1873; Krel. 1867; Lem. 1897; Pai. 1889; Des. 1899, 1905; Bar. 1900; Old 1924.
Dentata. See Vivid. (For., 1889.) Pai. 1889.
† Dorys. (For., 1874.) V. G. 1874.
Dr. Bowring. See Gloire de Shanghai. (Chin.—For., 1889). Pai. 1889.
† Empereur de Chine. (For., 1885.) Gard., Jan. 10, 1885.
* Globosa. (Chin.—For., 1846.) Oud. 1846; V. H. 1873; Des. 1905; Lem. 1897; Bar. 1907; Krel. 1867; Pai. 1889.
* Gloire de Shanghai. Syns. Dr. Bowring; Walneri. (For., 1846.) V. H. 1873; H. & S. 1864; Pai. 1889; V. G. 1896; Bar. 1900; Des. 1899,1902; Reut. 1906; Exhib. Boston 1843; Oud. 1846; Krel. 1867.
Grand Duc de Bade. (For., 1848.) Krel. 1867; Grossherzog—G. & K., 1911; Exhib. Boston 1842 (?); Pai. 1889.
† Hippolyte. (For., 1873.) V. H. 1873; Gard., Jan. 10, 1885.
* Ida. (Chin.—For., 1889, or Jap.—Sieb.) Pai. 1889. See Picta.
† Lilacina. D. (Chin.—For., 1846.)
* Lord Macartney. (Chin.—For., 1889.) Pai. 1889. Syn., Superba de Young. See Confucius.
* Mandarin. (Chin.—For., 1867.) Des. 1905; KeL 1889; Krel. 1867; Pai. 1889.
* Odorata rosea. Syn. Rosea Odorata. (Chin.—For., 1846.) V. H. 1873; Old 1924; Krel. 1867; Ler. 1846 (?); Pai. 1889.
* Osiris. (Chin.—For., 1864.) H. & S. 1864; V. H. 1873; Lem. 1887; Bar. 1900; Des. 1899, 1905; Old 1924; Pai. 1889.
Parviflora. (Chin.—For., 1848.) V. G. 1874; Pai. 1889.
Picta. Syn. Ida. (Chin.—For., 1864.) Bar. 1905; Des. 1905; Pai. 1889; H. & S. 1864; Krel. 1867; V. H. 1873; Old 1924.
Pride of Hong Kong. (For., 1873.) V. H. 1873; Pai. 1889; Gard., Jan. 10, 1885.
Purpurea. (Chin.—For., 1864.) H. & S. 1864; Lem. 1892; Krel. 1867; Pai. 1889; Des. 1905; Bar. 1900; Lem. 1910; V. H. 1873.
* Reine des Violettes. (Chin.—For., 1889.) Bar. 1900; Pai. 1889; Lem. 1904; Des. 1899, 1905; Old 1924.
Rembrandt. (Chin.—For., 1846.) Bar. 1900.
* Robert Fortune. Syn. Rosea Superba. (China.—For., 1846.) H. & S. 1864; Lem. 1887, 1897; Pai. 1889; Bar. 1900; Des. 1899, 1905; G. & K. 1907; V. H. 1873; Old 1924; Krel. 1867.
Rosea Superba. (For., 1889.) Pai. 1889. See Robert Fortune.
Salmonea. D. (Chin.—For., 1864.) H. & S. 1864; V. H. 1873; Krel. 1867; Pai. 1889; Lem. 1892; Des. 1899, 1905.
* Samarang. D. (Chin.—For., 1864.) H. & S. 1864; Lem. 1887; Pai. 1889; Bar. 1900; Des. 1899, 1905; V. H. 1873; Krel. 1867.
Sir George Staunton. (For., 1864.) H. & S. 1864; V. H. 1873; Bar. 1900.
Speciosissima. (Chin.—For., 1867, or Nois., 1839.) Bar. 1900; V. H. 1873; Krel. 1867.
Violacea. (Chin.—For., 1846, or Nois., 1839.) Ler. 1853; Pai. 1889.
* Vivid. Syns. Dentata; Prince Albert. (Chin.—For., 1864.) H. & S. 1864; V. H. 1873; Krel. 1867; Pai. 1889; Old 1924; Bar. 1900; Des. 1899; Krel. 1867; Rruit. 1906.
* Zenobia. Syns. Atropurpurea; Alexandre de Humboldt. (Chin.—For., 1864; 1889.) H. & S. 1864; Pai. 1889; V. H. 1873; Lem. 1892; Bar. 1900; Des. 1905, 1899; Old 1924; Krel. 1867.
* Presumed to be in commerce, 1927. † Never widely distributed.
