perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
herbaceous
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials.
Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous"
The fourth edition of t ...
species of peony about 45 cm high. It has pink flowers. The stems, major veins and undersides of the leaves remain purple red, while the upper surface of the leaves turns into a metallic bluish green when fully grown and its lower leaves consist of no more than nine leaflets or segments. This
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
of the Balearic Islands is now limited to parts of northeastern and northwestern Majorca. In English it is sometimes called Balearic peony or Majorcan peony.
Description
''Paeonia cambessedesii'' is a clump-forming, perennial, herbaceous peony, which dies down in the autumn, and overwinters with buds just under the surface of the soil, and may reach a height of 25–60 cm. The reddish purple stem carries several alternately arranged leaves. The lowest leaves consist of nine leathery, hairless leaflets which are lanceolate to inverted egg-shaped with a pointy tip. The upper surface of the leafblade is bluish green with a metallic gloss, while the main veins are reddish purple, and the underside of the leafblade is purple. Each stem carries one cup-shaped flower of 6–12 cm with usually eight (5-10) pale to purplish pink petals, and is said to smell of roses. Within is a circle of numerous purple filaments topped by yellow anthers. The center of the flower consists of three to nine, initially purple carpels, each of which is connected through a thick style with a reddish stigma on top. The stigmas ripen before the stamens, a situation called
protogyny
Sequential hermaphroditism (called dichogamy in botany) is a type of hermaphroditism that occurs in many fish, gastropods, and plants. Sequential hermaphroditism occurs when the individual changes its sex at some point in its life. In particular, ...
. The three to eight (mostly four to six) carpels develop into dry dehiscent fruits (called follicles) of about 6 cm long, that open with a suture along their lengths, and contain initially carmine colored seeds that turn glossy black when fully ripe.
Growth cycle
In February the stalks which have an intense garnet color emerge from the soil. This color is the result of a high concentration of
anthocyanin
Anthocyanins (), also called anthocyans, are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, blue, or black. In 1835, the German pharmacist Ludwig Clamor Marquart gave the name Anthokyan to a chemical compo ...
s, whose dark color absorbs sunlight and prevents freezing of these young and tender parts early in the year. In March the emerging stem unfolds and leaves and buds become clearly visible. A few weeks later flowering may start. First the stigmas are fertile for a few days, while the anthers remain closed to prevent self-pollination. by the time the ovaries have been fertilized, the anthers mature and pollen can be picked up by insects and carried to other flowers.
In late August, the ripe fruits open and the shiny black seeds can be dispersed. Unfertilised seeds appear as red, soft granules with flat surfaces. The seedlings of this peony usually only appear after several winters. Young plants first appear in early spring and are protected against frost by their high anthocyanin content.
Differences with related species
''P. cambessedesii'' differs from all other peonies as its lower leaves have (seven to) nine entire leaflets, never more or incised, all its parts are absolutely hairless, it has on average more carpels per flower than any other Eurasian herbaceous peony: (3-) 4-6 (-8), and it has nearly always reddish purple stems and undersides of the leaves throughout the season. It is most related to ''P. russoi'', from Corsica and Sardinia, but that species is a
tetraploid
Polyploidy is a condition in which the cells of an organism have more than one pair of ( homologous) chromosomes. Most species whose cells have nuclei (eukaryotes) are diploid, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes, where each set contains ...
, and the upper surface of its leaves retain a purple hue even when fully developed.
Taxonomy
''P. cambessedesii'' is a diploid (2n=10) species of hybrid origin, and is, like all other Eurasian herbaceous species, assigned to the section ''Paeonia''. One of the parents of ''P. cambessedesii'' is '' P. lactiflora'', the other parent is not fully certain but most likely '' P. mairei'', but '' P. obovata'' may also have played a role in the genetic make-up of ''P. cambessedesii''. The tetraploid '' P. russoi'' is very likely of the same origin, and could be regarded its
sister species
In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree.
Definition
The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram:
Taxon A and ...
.
Etymology
The species is named in honor of
Jacques Cambessèdes
Jacques Cambessèdes (26 August 1799 – 19 October 1863) was a French botanist born in Montpellier.
In March – June 1825, prompted by suggestions of Jaques Étienne Gay and Alexander von Humboldt, Cambessèdes performed investigation ...
, a French botanist who collected in the Balearic Islands.
Distribution and ecology
''Paeonia cambessedesii'' is an
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
of the Balearic Islands, at one time present on Mallorca,
Menorca
Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capi ...
and Cabrera, but now limited to the mountainous Northeast of Mallorca, such as in the Parc Natural de Llevant, and Northwest, such as the slopes of the
Puig Major
Puig Major is the highest peak on the Spanish island of Majorca. With an elevation of above sea level. It is situated in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains. As the mountain is located in a military zone, the neighbouring peak Puig de Massanella ( ...
Helichrysum italicum
''Helichrysum italicum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is sometimes called the curry plant because of the strong smell of its leaves. Other common names include Italian strawflower and immortelle. It grows on dry, r ...
'', ''
Helleborus lividus
''Helleborus lividus'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to Majorca and possibly nearby Cabrera, Spain. It is an evergreen perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than ...
Rosmarinus officinalis
''Salvia rosmarinus'' (), commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. Until 2017, it was known by the scientific name ''Rosmar ...
Scrophularia canina
''Scrophularia canina'', the dog figwort or French figwort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Scrophulariaceae.
Description
''Scrophularia canina'' have a growth form that supports itself and are usually herbaceous perennials. This ...
'', ''
Santolina chamaecyparissus
''Santolina chamaecyparissus'' (synonym (taxonomy), syn. ''S. incana''), known as cotton lavender or lavender-cotton, is a species of flowering plant in the Family (biology), family Asteraceae, native plant, native to the western and central Medi ...
'', ''
Smilax aspera
''Smilax aspera'', with common names common smilax, rough bindweed, sarsaparille,Teucrium asiaticum'' and '' T. marum''. Like all peonies, the Balearic peony is very poisonous, and is avoided by grazers. The flowers are pollinated by bees and other insects.
Conservation
The Balearic peony's territory has shrunk due to grazers such as feral goats, but also to picking the flowers and digging out plants for in the garden, and remaining sites may also be destroyed by urban development, such as for tourists.
Cultivation
The plant is now regarded as a collectors item for plantsmen's gardens. The plant is probably not very hardy and vulnerable to stagnant water, so may be expected to perform best in temperate climates when offered deep, well-draining, lime-rich soil, in a warm, sunny and well protected location. In cultivation the plant has gained the
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.
The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...
's
Award of Garden Merit
The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions.
History
The Award of Garden Merit ...
.
Germination
It is suggested that seeds can be tricked into early germination by putting them in a closed container under a moist topsoil and storing them in a refrigerator for three or four months. In early spring the seeds can be sown outside and these usually germinate within a few weeks without problems. If the seeds do not germinate after the first cold treatment, it is advised to repeat it until successful. The small seedlings of ''Paeonia cambessedesii'' share the intense gamut of color with the shoots of their parents and are protected against frost this way. It may take four or five years before the plant is capable of producing its first flower.
Other uses
The root of the Balearic peony is said to have been used as a cure against
epilepsy
Epilepsy is a group of non-communicable neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrica ...