Paeonia parnassica

Paeonia parnassica, the Greek peony, is a flowering plant in the Paeoniaceae family. It is native to the mountains of south-central Greece. The flowers are produced in late spring with a deep maroon red colouring on 65 cm stems. The blooms are large, up to 12 cm in diameter and bear a boss of rich orange stamens. This peony was once included with the species P. mascula.^[2]

Paeonia parnassica
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Saxifragales
Family:	Paeoniaceae
Genus:	Paeonia
Species:	P. parnassica
Binomial name
Paeonia parnassica Tzanoud.

Genetics

The Greek peony is an autotetraploid (4n=20) of which the diploid parent must have gone extinct.^[3]

References

1. Bazos, I.; Delipetrou, P. (2011). "Paeonia parnassica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011: e.T162095A5535177. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T162095A5535177.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
2. Peonies: The Imperial Flower by Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall ISBN 0-297-82424-4
3. Ferguson, Diane; Sang, Tao (2001). "Speciation through homoploid hybridization between allotetraploids in peonies (Paeonia)" (PDF). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 98 (7): 3915–3919. Bibcode:2001PNAS...98.3915F. doi:10.1073/pnas.061288698. PMC 31153. PMID 11259655. Retrieved 2016-04-30.