(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

(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.

(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

(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

(2006)  Page(s) 79-81.  
 
Paeonia corsica SIEBER ex TAUSCH, Flora, 11: 88, 1828. Type: Corsica, “monte Cagna ad Porto vecchio in Corsica”, SIEBER s. n. (holotype, P! isotype, K!)....[many synonyms listed]...Perennials. Roots thickened, carrot-shaped, attenuate downwards, tap roots up to 2 cm in diameter, grey-brown. Stems with 5–7 scales at the base, 35–80 cm tall, glabrous, green or green but partially purple, or nearly entirely purple. Petioles green, partially purple or entirely purple, glabrous or holosericeous; the lowermost one or two leaves biternate, with nine leaflets, leaflets rarely divided nearly to the base, thus leaflets and segments together mostly nine, less frequently 10, 11, very rarely more (up to 20); leaflets/segments ovate to elliptic, 4–13 cm long, 2–8 cm wide, base cuneate to nearly truncate, apex acute, always glabrous above, but mostly rather densely, less frequently sparsely holosericeous, rarely glabrous beneath. Involucrate bracts absent or 1–3, foliate. Sepals 1–8, but mostly 2–5 in number, unequal in size, green or green but purple at periphery to entirely purple, ovate-orbicular, apex rounded or mucronate. Petals rose, 7–8 in
number, obovate. Stamens numerous; filaments purple; anthers yellow. Disc 1 mm high, wavedentate, tomentose on flowers with tomentose carpels. Carpels 1–8, but mostly 2–5, green, purple or red, tomentose, with hairs 1.5 mm long, brown-yellow, rarely glabrous, widest in middle-upper part; styles 1.5–3.0 mm long; stigmas red. Chromosome number 2n = 10

(2006)  Page(s) 78.  
 
It seems justified to make following conclusions from the above analysis: 1) The populations
in Corsica and Sardinia are extremely polymorphic, particularly within the population H01015 in Mt. Cagna, Corsica, but they are monotypic, forming a single entity; 2) The peony in Corsica, Sardinia, Ionian Islands and Akarnania Province is distinctly different from those in the other regions, and should be recognized as an independent species; 3) The peony in Sicily is monotypic, and is of only one entity; 4) The peony in Corsica, Sardinia, Ionian Islands and Akarnania Province is a diploid (2n = 10), while all the members of P. mascula are tetraploid (2n = 20) according to the reports so far available on chromosomes (Table 1). Thus, the diploid and tetraploid are closely correlated with the differentiation of external morphology, and they are distinctly different in morphology.

(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

(2006)  Page(s) 79.  
 
The type of P. triternata PALL. ex DC. (= P. daurica ANDREWS) is from Crimea,
Ukraine, and it is distributed around the Black Sea. Its leaflets are undulate and obovate, and
its carpels are covered with long hairs (3.0 mm long).