scarlet peony

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• scarlet peony
• Balkan Peony

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Paeonia officinalis subsp. villosa
• Paeonia officinalis var. tartarica
• Paeonia romanica
• Paeonia officinalis var. peregrina
• Paeonia decora
• Paeonia decora var. elatior
• Paeonia decora var. pallasii
• Paeonia tartarica

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Saxifragales, it is classified under the family Paeoniaceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is established within the genus Paeonia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, Paeonia peregrina, is primarily distributed across several regions in Southeastern Europe. It can be found growing naturally in the country of Albania. Its presence is also documented within the borders of Bulgaria. Additionally, this medicinal species inhabits various landscapes throughout Greece. Finally, the plant's range extends to Italy and Romania.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Paeonia peregrina is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist across multiple growing seasons through established underground structures. As a member of the cryptophyte group, its vital organs are protected from seasonal environmental stressors by being located underground. Specifically, it functions as a geophyte, relying on a specialized storage organ—typically a tuberous root—to survive periods of dormancy and to facilitate regrowth when favorable conditions return.

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Paeonia peregrina is characterized by a terrestrial growth habit, as it is not an aquatic or semiaquatic species. It manifests as a herbaceous plant, specifically classified as a forb, which grows in a non-woody manner throughout its life cycle.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Paeonia peregrina is characterized by a standard C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its metabolic processes and carbon fixation mechanisms. As a C3 plant, it utilizes the Calvin cycle to fix atmospheric carbon dioxide directly through the enzyme RuBisCO, a process that is highly efficient under temperate and cool-to-moderate environmental conditions but renders the plant susceptible to photorespiration during periods of high temperature or drought. Its physiological processes are closely tied to its perennial growth habit, where nutrient assimilation and energy storage are managed through a complex interplay of root and rhizome activity. The metabolic activity of the plant is seasonally regulated, with physiological vigor peaking during the spring and summer months to support vegetative growth and reproductive development, followed by a period of dormancy where metabolic rates decrease to survive colder temperatures.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

Reproduction in Paeonia peregrina is primarily driven by the production of seeds, which serve as the key dispersal units for the species. The reproductive output is characterized by highly consistent seed morphology, with data indicating a uniform seed mass across the observed population. Specifically, the seed mass exhibits a mean value of 0.0906 g, a figure that is mirrored by both the maximum and minimum recorded values of 0.0906 g. This lack of variance in seed mass (0.0906 g) suggests a highly standardized developmental process during the maturation of the embryo and endosperm, ensuring that each individual seed carries a precise and predictable amount of nutrient reserves necessary for successful germination and early seedling establishment.

Seed mass mean:

0.0906 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Paeonia peregrina has 8 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, GA3, Gibberellic acid (GA3), METHYL GALLATE, Paeoniflorin.

Flavonoids

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

GA3

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Gibberellic acid (GA3)

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

METHYL GALLATE

1. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

Paeoniflorin

1. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

Tannins

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Terpenoids

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

digallate

1. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Paeonia peregrina has 7 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antidiabetic, Antimicrobial.

Antioxidant

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

Antibacterial

1. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

Anticancer

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antidiabetic

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antimicrobial

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antisclerotic

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Neuroprotective

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Medicinal Uses

Paeonia peregrina has 4 reported medicinal uses identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella Typhimurium, antidiabetic, antioxidant.

Most Reported Uses