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Paeonia brownii

Brown's peony, native peony, peony, western peony

Habit Plants 20–40 cm.
Leaves

usually 5–8 per shoot, primary divisions 3–6 × 2–5 cm, bases notably narrowed (stalklike), ultimate divisions mostly elliptic to obovate, apices usually obtuse to rounded, surfaces usually ± glaucous (at least abaxially).

Flowers

petals maroon to bronze, margins yellowish or greenish, orbiculate, 8–13 mm, usually shorter than inner sepals;

filaments 3–5 mm;

anthers 2–4 mm.

Seeds

cylindric, ca. 11 mm.

Follicles

2–4 cm.

2n

= 10.

Paeonia brownii

Phenology Flowering (Mar-)May–Jun(-Aug).
Habitat Open, dry pine forests, sagebrush, mountain brush, aspen
Elevation 200-3000 m (700-9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Reports of Paeonia brownii from Canada evidently stem from early confusion between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Vancouver, Washington (H. J. Scoggan 1978–1979, vol. 3). The type of P. brownii was collected on Mount Hood in Oregon, about 75 kilometers from Fort Vancouver (now Vancouver), Washington, which was a base for the collector, David Douglas.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 5.
Parent taxa Paeoniaceae > Paeonia
Sibling taxa
P. californica
Name authority Douglas ex Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 27. 1829 ,
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