Paeonia lactiflora
Encyclopedia
Paeonia lactiflora, also Chinese Peony (芍 or 白芍 in Chinese
; pinyin
: sháo or bái sháo; bái meaning "white"), and common garden peony is a herbaceous
perennial
flowering plant
in the family Paeoniaceae, native to central and eastern Asia
from eastern Tibet
across northern China
to eastern Siberia
. It is about 60–100 cm tall with large compound leaves 20–40 cm long. The flower buds are large and round, opening into large flower
s 8–16 cm diameter, with 5-10 white, pink, or crimson petals and yellow stamen
s.
in gardens, with several hundred selected cultivar
s; many of the cultivars have double flowers, with the stamens modified into additional petals. It was first introduced to England in the mid-18th century, and is the species that has produced most common garden peonies today. It was known as P. albiflora for many years, and as the white peony when first introduced into Europe. There are many colors now available, from pure milk white, to pink, rose, and near red—along with single to full double forms. They are prolific bloomers, and have become the main source of peonies for the cut flower business.
In China, it is less highly valued as an ornamental plant than the cultivars of tree peony Paeonia rockii
(tree peony, known as ziban mǔ dān in Chinese) and its hybrid Paeonia x suffruticosa, or mǔ dān (牡丹 ).
It is used as a medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine
, where it is called 芍药 (pinyin: sháo yào; literally: "Peony Medicine") or 白芍药 (pinyin: bái sháo yào; literally: "White Peony Medicine"). The root is used to reduce fever and pain
, and on wounds to stop bleeding and prevent infection
. An antispasmodic
effect is also recorded in the Japanese pharmacopoeia
.
The leaves of many cultivars are high in oleanolic
and ursolic acid
.
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
; pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: sháo or bái sháo; bái meaning "white"), and common garden peony 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
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...
flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the family Paeoniaceae, native to central and eastern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
from eastern Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
across northern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to eastern Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. It is about 60–100 cm tall with large compound leaves 20–40 cm long. The flower buds are large and round, opening into large flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s 8–16 cm diameter, with 5-10 white, pink, or crimson petals and yellow stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s.
Background
Chinese Peony is widely grown as an ornamental plantOrnamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
in gardens, with several hundred selected cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
s; many of the cultivars have double flowers, with the stamens modified into additional petals. It was first introduced to England in the mid-18th century, and is the species that has produced most common garden peonies today. It was known as P. albiflora for many years, and as the white peony when first introduced into Europe. There are many colors now available, from pure milk white, to pink, rose, and near red—along with single to full double forms. They are prolific bloomers, and have become the main source of peonies for the cut flower business.
In China, it is less highly valued as an ornamental plant than the cultivars of tree peony Paeonia rockii
Rock's Peony
Rock's peony or Rock's tree peony is a woody species of peony that was named after Joseph Rock. It is one of several species given the vernacular name tree peony, and is native to the mountains of midwestern China, mainly in Gansu and adjoining provinces...
(tree peony, known as ziban mǔ dān in Chinese) and its hybrid Paeonia x suffruticosa, or mǔ dān (牡丹 ).
It is used as a medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
, where it is called 芍药 (pinyin: sháo yào; literally: "Peony Medicine") or 白芍药 (pinyin: bái sháo yào; literally: "White Peony Medicine"). The root is used to reduce fever and pain
Analgesic
An analgesic is any member of the group of drugs used to relieve pain . The word analgesic derives from Greek an- and algos ....
, and on wounds to stop bleeding and prevent infection
Antiseptic
Antiseptics are antimicrobial substances that are applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction...
. An antispasmodic
Antispasmodic
An antispasmodic is a drug or a herb that suppresses muscle spasms.-Smooth muscle spasm:One type of antispasmodics is used for smooth muscle contraction, especially in tubular organs of the gastrointestinal tract...
effect is also recorded in the Japanese pharmacopoeia
Kampo
, alternatively shortened as just , is the Japanese study and adaptation of Traditional Chinese medicine. The basic works of Chinese medicine came to Japan between the 7th and 9th centuries. Since then, the Japanese have created their own unique herbal medical system and diagnosis...
.
The leaves of many cultivars are high in oleanolic
Oleanolic acid
Oleanolic acid or oleanic acid is a naturally occurring triterpenoid, widely distributed in food and medicinal plants, related to betulinic acid. It can be found in Phytolacca americana , and Syzygium spp, garlic, etc...
and ursolic acid
Ursolic acid
Ursolic acid is a pentacyclic triterpene acid, used in cosmetics, that is also capable of inhibiting various types of cancer cells by inhibiting the STAT3 activation pathway and human fibrosarcoma cells by reducing the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 by acting through the glucocorticoid...
.