Website/Catalog  (27 Jul 2011)  
 
Paeonia lactiflora Pall. var. humei
See Paeonia lactiflora Pall. var. fragrans.  ‘This group [Paeonia albiflora] is distinct in habit and colour, ranging from two to three feet in height, more erect and stately in growth, darker green in foliage, and terminating in blossoms varying from clear white to roseate purple and rich crimson.  The varieties are well adapted for the summer decoration of select flower-gardens, and for the middle foreground of arboretums and shrubberies.’  It describes Paeonia albiflora Humei as ‘generally from two to three feet in height, occasionally larger, rough-surfaced leaves and scentless, rose-coloured flowers, from six to nine inches in diameter.’  [Gard. Chron. 1854].  There is also a paler-flowered variety called P. Humei alba, with blush-coloured flowers.  [Gard. Chron. 1856].  
 
 Horticultural & Botanical History
Paeonia albiflora and its varieties are figured in a number of the early botanical magazines but I have found no figure of Paeonia lactiflora humei.  Andrews’ Botanical Repository was probably the first depiction, a plant introduced by J. Bell from St. Petersburg.  [ABR pl.64/1799].  Curtis's Botanical Magazine figures a variety with pure white flowers [BM t.1756/1815] and the Botanical Register [BR f.1436/1831] figures a variety recently imported from China, Paeonia albiflora var. Pottsii: ‘It flowers rather before P. albiflora Humei, and later than P. albiflora Whitlei.’  Another variety of P. albiflora, with single white, pink-flushed flowers, had previously been figured at BR f.42/1815. 
Don reports that the roots of the varieties of Paeonia albiflora are boiled in broth by both the Daurians and Monguls.  They also grind the seeds and put them in tea.  Introduced in 1784.  [PD].
  
History at Camden Park
Listed in the 1850 and 1857 catalogues [B.387/1850].

Magazine  (1924)  
 
Humer—Late, large, pink; too heavy for cut flower variety but good landscape flower.. .25 Each

Website/Catalog  (1918)  Page(s) 9-10.  
 
Double Paeonia albiflora varieties.
Humei (synonym Francis B. Hayes). Bright rose, perfectly double, midseason, rather weak stem. 50 cents.
This Peony I have grown for many years under the name Francis B. Hayes. I did not get my stock from Mr. Richardson, but from Mrs. E. M. Gill of Medford, a most careful and enthusiastic gardener. She obtained her Peony collection from Mr. John C. Hovey from whom presumably this Peony cam directly. Mr. Hovey gave the name Francis B. Hayes to a Peony he got from Mr. Richardson under the impression that it was one of his seedlings, and there is no doubt that this is the plant so named. This year Mr. Arthur H. Fewkes and Mr. E. J. Shaylor, both most careful men and leading experts in the varieties of Peonies examined my plants in bloom and both unhesitatingly said that this Francis B. Hayes is the old variety Humei. It is just such a variety as would be likely to occur in an old garden like Mr. Richardson's. Further, Mr. Richardson rarely labeled his perennials or kept any track of names. Mr. Richardson had so many seedling Peonies that it is quite natural that Mr. Hovey should have been mistaken in supposing that this variety was a seedling. There is a very excellent colored plate of Humei published in Curtis' Botanical Magazine, Plate 1768, vol. 42, 1815. The description states that the drawing was made from a specimen communicated by Sir Abraham Hume, who imported it from Canton. The variety Humei is further mentioned in the Botanical Register, vol. 6, p. 485, 1820. The published figure and description of the foliage as wrinkled both correspond closely with the character of the plants in my garden. For the above reasons, especially the opinion of Messrs. Fewkes and Shaylor which is the most critically expert opinion that one could have, I treat Francis B. Hayes as a synonym of Humei.

Book  (Jan 1917)  Page(s) 45, 59, 224.  
 
p. 45: In the early part of the Nineteenth Century some varieties of albiflora were imported from China that are still offered by growers. Among these are Fragrans (Sir Joseph Banks, 1805), Whitleyi (Whitley, 1808) — which the importer had been led to believe was a yellow tree peony — and Humei (Anderson, 1810).

p. 59: In 1858, H.A. Terry of Crescent, Iowa, one of the pioneers among peony experts of this country, obtained from William Robert Prince, who had inherited the Linnaean Botanic Garden, at Flushing, thirty varities of P. albiflora, inclusing Humei, Pottsii, Reevesii, Comte de Paris, fragrans, festiva maxima, lutetiana, edulis superba, plenissima rosea and Queen Victoria.

p. 224: Albiflora ( white flowered) . Central China and Siberia. Older Varieties:....Humei....

Website/Catalog  (1915)  Page(s) 20.  
 
Herbaceous Peonies
Select Double Peonies
Humei.— Soft pink, large and full; late.

Website/Catalog  (1912)  Page(s) 16.  
 
Choice List of Peonies
Humei — Very large, compact and striking cherry-pink flower; among the very best; highly cinnamon-scented; graceful in habit and grown very largely for cut flowers and valuable for landscape work.  35 cents each.

Website/Catalog  (1908)  Page(s) 2.  
 
DOUBLE HERBACEOUS PEONIES SERIES A. 25 cents each
Humei. (Anderson) a large, full, double, bright pink bloom, highly cinnamon scented; fine for landscape work; late; grown largely for cut flowers.

Website/Catalog  (1908)  Page(s) 24.  
 
Humei. Clear cherry or rose-pink; pronounced cinnamon fragrance, very late....Each  .20, per 10  2.10, per 100  8.00

Book  (1907)  Page(s) 105.  
 
1128. HAYES, FRANCIS B.; P. albiflora...(Richardson and Hovey)
(1) 1904, Trans. Mass. Hort. Soc., Part 1, p. 180.

Book  (1907)  Page(s) 24-25, 40, 58.  
 
p. 24: We cannot give a list of more than fourteen varieties of peonies which we would recommend for cut flower purposes out of the list we are now growing. We have many varieties, but they have not been sufficiently tested as yet. The list is as follows: Amabilis Grandiflora, white, very large, double, fringed petals, fine, very sweet; Caroline Mather, purple crimson, large, double and very dark; Delicatissima, rose, large, full, fine, sweet; Duchesse de Nemours, rose-pink, very large, double, sweet, one of the best; Elegans, outside petals dark pink, large salmon center, loose, fine, sweet; Festiva Maxima, creamy white with small center of carmine, round, early, in clusters, sweet; Francoise Ortegat, dark purple crimson, very large, fine, deep, double, and sweet; Fulgida, very dark crimson, good; Humei, rose, full, large, late, one of the best; La France, pink outside petals, with yellowish center, very fine; Perfection, outside petals rose lilac, inside salmon, sweet; Reine Hortense, pink, large, full globular, fine, fragrant; Triumph du Nord, violet rose, lilac shade; Victoria, rose, center yellowish.
W. & T. Smith Company, Geneva, N. Y.

p. 40: Humei. Anderson. Enormous, varnished pink, cinnamon scented. One of the grandest when at its best, somewhat variable different years. Very late.

p. 58: The genuine Humei, besides that glorious bloom of varnished pink, sends out a cinnamon odor.