Article (magazine)  (2006)  Page(s) 79.  
 
[Key to the Genus Paeonia in the Mediterenean]
1a. Plants entirely glabrous, very occasionally pubescent on lower surface of leaves; carpels glabrous, very occasionally hispid.
2a. Carpels mostly 4–8, very rarely less; leaves purple and always glabrous beneath, lower leaves always with nine or less entire leaflets (Baleares) (2n = 10). . . . . P. cambessedesii
2b. Carpels mostly 2–4, less frequently 1 or more; leaves green-gray or purple, glabrous or holosericeous beneath, lower leaves with nine or more leaflets/segments.
3a. Leaves glabrous, very occasionally pubescent beneath; lower leaves mostly with more than nine leaflets/segments; carpels 2, less frequently 3 or 4 (S Spain and Morocco (2n = 20) . . . . .P. coriacea
3b. Leaves mostly holosericeous, rarely glabrous beneath; lower leaves mostly with 9 leaflets; carpels 1–5 (2n = 10). . . . .P. corsica
1b. Plants hairy, very occasionally glabrous; carpels tomentose.
4a. Hairs on carpels 3 mm long, yellow-white; leaflets/segments mostly more than 9, very rarely 9 in number, glabrous or sparsely hispid beneath (Spain, France, Italy, Sicily, Greece to Iraq) (2n = 20). . . . .P. mascula
4b. Hairs on carpels 1.5 mm long, brown-yellow; leaflets/segments mostly 9, rarely more in number, rather densely holosericeous, rarely glabrous beneath (Corsica, Sardinia, Ionian Islands and Akarnania Province) (2n = 10) . . . . P. corsica

Article (magazine)  (2006)  Page(s) 79.  
 
P. cambessedesii is always entirely glabrous, with the number of carpels varying
from four to eight, very rarely less. It is a distinct species confined to the Baleares, Spain.

Book  (Jan 1999)  Page(s) 632.  
 
Paeonia cambessedesii ('Majorcan Peony') Deep pink

Book  (1946)  Page(s) 62.  
 
P.Cambessedesii (Willk.) Willkomm in Willkomm & Lange, Prodr. Fl. HisP.3, 976 (1880), in obs., et 3, Fl. HisP.1, io4, t. 65A (1881-85) ; Rodriquez, Fl. Minorca, 4 (1904) ; Bot. Mag. t. 8161 (1907) ; Bailey, Stand. Cycl. Hart. 5, 2435 (1916); F. C. Stem in Journ. Roy. Hort. Soc. 56, 74 (1931) ; F. C. Stern in ibid. 68, ia6 (1943). Syn. P.corallina Retz. sec. Amor y Mora, Fl. Fanerog. Penis. Iber. 6, 745 (1873), non Retz. corallina var. Cambessedesii Willkomm in Oesterr. Bot. Zeit. 25, 113 (1875), et in Linnaea, 40, 133 (1876); Barcelo, Fl. Balear. 18 (1879); Huth in Engler, Bot. Jahrb. 14, 267 (1891).P.corallina var. fructibus glabris Cambessedes, Enum. PI. Balear. 33 (1827) ; Costa, Fl. Catal. 9 (1864) ; Rodriques, Cat. Raz. PI. Vase. Minorca, 2, l00 (1865-68) ; Mares & Vigineix, Cat. Rais. PI. Vase. Balear. 12 (1880). P.corallina f. leiocarpa Coss. sec. Knoche, Fl. Balear. 1, 475-6 (1921), non P.corallina var. leiocarpa Goes.
Description. Stem glabrous, 30-45 cm. high. Leaves coriaceous, regularly disposed along the stem, decreasing in size towards the apex, 7-5-25 cm. long; lower leaves bitemate. Petiole up to 10-5 cm. long. Leaflets entire, from lanceolate to ovate, sometimes elliptic, apex subacute to acute, 4-10 cm. long, by 2-5 cm. wide, dark green and glabrous above, with nerves impressed, purple or pale green flushed with purple, and glabrous and with nerves raised below. Flowers 6-10 cm. across. Petals broadly obovate, deep rose. Stamens 1-1.7 cm. long, filaments red, anthers 3-4-5 mm. long, yellow. Carpels 5-8, glabrous, purple. Follicles 6 cm. long.
Distribution. balearic islands : Majorca, Puerti Pollenza, Edmonds ss8 (K) ; Las Basas between Audrailx and Estelleuch, 300 metres, Martindale 146 (K); Puig Major, Porta and Rigo (K), Bourgeau (K) ; sine loc. Cambessedes (K), Leighton (K).
Paeonia Cambessedesii is included in the Russi group because of the number and shape of the leaflets which are lanceolate to ovate with the apex sub-acute to acute. It differs from the other paeonies in this group in being glabrous, in possessing larger and coriaceous leaflets, in the deep purple colour of the back of the leaves, and in the greater number of the carpels which are deep purple. It is a diploid while P.Russi var. Reverchoni and P.Russi var. leiocarpa are tetraploids.
P.Cambessedesii flowers at the end of April or the beginning of May ; P.Russi var. leiocarpa at the end of May and P.Russi var. Reverchoni at the beginning of June in English gardens. It was introduced into cultivation in 1896 from the Island of Majorca by Miss Geoghegan, of Dublin. It is becoming scarce in the Balearic Islands and is said to be found now only in the more inaccessible places.
P.Cambessedesii is one of the most delightful of all paeonies for the garden and is the earliest to flower. The flowers are a beautiful shade of deep pink and the whole plant is charming with deep green leaves, purple underneath, set off by the red petioles and stem. It is not always hardy in England, though plants raised from seed seem hardier than those imported. It does best when planted among shrubs where the early sun does not reach it, or against a wall.

Book  (1917)  Page(s) 226.  
 
Cambessedesii (Cambessedes's). Balearic Islands and Corsica. Flowers deep rose pink with slight magenta tint. Introduced into England in 1896 by Miss F. Geoghegan.

 

Magazine  (Oct 1907)  Page(s) tab 8161.  Includes photo(s).
 
Paeonia Cambessedesii. Balearic Islands and Corsica.
Balearic Islands and Corsica.
Ranunculaceae. Tribe Paeonieae.
Paeonia, Linn.; Benth. et Hook.f. Gen. Plant. vol. i. p. 10.

Paeonia Cambessedesii, Willk. Illustr. Fl. Hisp. et Ins. Balear. vol. i. p. 104, t. 65 a; affinis P. corallinae, Retz, sed foliis subtus pulchre purpurascentibus et carpellis erectis glabris purpurascentibus differt.

Perennis, herbacea, circiter 0.5 m. alta, caulibus glabris erectis flexuosis simplicibus sulcatis unifloris. Folia ternato-pinnatisecta ; segmenta ovato-lanceolata vol oblonga, acuta, integra, glabra, supra intense viridia, subtus purpurascentia, nervis utrinque distinctis supra impressis subtus leviter elevatis. Flores rosei, solitarii, erecti, circiter 9 cm. diametro. Sepala inaequalia, viridia. Petala 5-10, rosea, late obovata, membranacea, marginibus crenulata. Stamina numerosa, filamentis purpureis, antheris flavis. Carpella 5-7, erecta, demum divergentia, glabra, purpurea, nitida, stigmate recurvato. — P. corallina, var. fructibus glabris, Cambess. Enum. PI. Balear. p. 33 ; Costa Fl. de Catal. p. 9; Rodrigu Catal. PI. Men. p. 2 et 100; Mares et Vigin. Catal. Rais. PI. Balear. p. 12. — P. corallina, var. Cambessedesii, Willk. Oesterr. Bot. Zeitschr. et Ind. PI. Vasc. Balear. in Linnaea, vol. xl. p. 133 ; Barcelo, Flora de las Balear. p. 18.

There are two distinct sections of Paeonia in cultivation, both of which are exceedingly ornamental and useful for garden purposes. The well-known Moutan, or Tree Paeony, P. Moutan, Sims, is the only representative of one section, whilst the other consists of numerous herbaceous species.
About twenty-five species are recognised in the genus ; all are natives of Europe and Asia, except P. Brownii, Dougl., a relatively inconspicuous species, which inhabits Western North America from San Bernardino, in California, to British Columbia.
P. Cambessedesii is a native of the Balearic Islands and Corsica, and we are indebted to Miss Frances Geoghegan, of Glasnevin, Dublin, for the introduction of this pretty species to cultivation. It was collected by her in the Island of Majorca, where it was found in 1896, growing in a rocky, almost inaccessible spot on Cape Formentor. Our drawing was made from an offset of Miss Geoghegan's original plant, which flowered in April of the present year, in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin. P. corallina, Retz, its nearest ally, differs in having glaucous-green, never purple, leaves, and hairy carpels.
Descr. — A herbaceous perennial, usually about a foot and a half high. Stems glabrous, erect, flexuose, simple, one-flowered. Leaves ternately pinnatisect ; segments ovate-lanceolate or oblong, acute, entire, glabrous, deep-green above, purple below ; nerves distinct on both sides, impressed above, slightly elevated below. Flowers deep rose-pink, solitary, erect, usually about three and a half inches in diameter. Sepals unequal, green. Petals five to ten, broadly obovate, membranous, crenulate. Stamens numerous; filaments purple; anthers yellow. Carpels five to seven, erect, at length divergent, glabrous, purple, shining ; stigma recurved. — J. Hutchinson.
Cultiv. — -As a garden plant P. Cambessedesii has the same claims as P. officinalis, P. peregrina, P. corallina and the other species of the herbaceous section which are now represented in gardens by a host of hybrid and seedling forms. For its cultivation the treatment that answers for these, a rich deep soil and a fair amount of moisture, will be found suitable. It is perhaps not generally understood that herbaceous Paeonies will grow almost as well under the partial shade of trees as they do in the open, exposed to full sunshine. They are therefore serviceable for grouping along with hardy ferns and the like. — W. Watson.

Figs. 1 and 2, stamens ; 3, young carpel ; 4, ripe fruit :— 1-3, enlarged ; 4. natural size.