2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
The peony / Paeonia / is a genus of dicotyledonous plants. Most species are perennial herbaceous plants with a height of 0.5-1.5 m, but some are woody and are shrubs up to 2-3 m tall. Peony was cultivated more than 4000 years ago.
The most popular is the red peony / Paeonia Peregrina /. It is a perennial herb with a short rhizome. Several stems and spindle-shaped thickened roots emerge from it, which in places turn into elongated articulated tubers. The stems are up to 60 cm high, unbranched, relatively hard, longitudinally, grooved, leafy to the top, usually with only one color at the top. The leaves are consecutive, darker above, lighter below, sometimes with sparse hairs. The upper leaves are double and triple separated, and those under the flowers turn into sepals.
The lower leaves are larger, with long stalks, deeply incised or serrated. The lobes are 17-30, narrowly elliptical, and the terminal ones are short and wide-triangular. The flowers are very large (up to 13 cm in diameter), dark or light red to pink or orange. The sepals are most often 5, and the petals 8-12, unfused, 6-8 cm long, obovate, some are located at the top and are serrated. The stamens are many, with red stalks, and the anthers are half as short as them. The carpels are usually 2-3.5 cm long, densely covered with whitish velvety hairs, rarely glabrous. The seeds are black, shiny, elliptical. It blooms in May - June.
As a wild herb, it is found in southern and southeastern Europe (Italy, Serbia, Albania, Romania, especially in Greece) and southwestern Asia (Asia Minor). It is assumed that this species originates from the Balkan Peninsula. In Bulgaria it is found as a wild plant in the bushes and lighted forests, meadows, etc. almost all over the country, more in the lower parts (up to 1000 m above sea level). Stocks of red peony are significant. The plant is also grown in gardens as a crop.
History of the peony
In the early 19th century, the peony was brought to Europe from China. In this Far Eastern country, it has been used for centuries as an ornamental and medicinal plant that has magical powers and is able to drive evil spirits out of the home. That is why a piece of the plant is often worn as a talisman that protects against disease. At weddings and holidays, the peony is served as a sign of best wishes. The plant symbolizes prosperity and is believed to attract wealth if grown in our garden.
Types of peony
Narrow-leaved peony / Paeonia tenuifolia / is also found in our country. The underground rhizome is short, woody. The tuberously thickened roots are many in number and of varying length. The tuft of stems is usually 20-40 cm high. The leaves are repeatedly divided into linear sections with a light gray-green color, so that they form a delicate, loose openwork leaf mass. Each stem ends with one or two colors.
The flowers are painted dark red and appear in the first half of May. The height of this peony is 30-80 cm. The leaves are palmately double trifoliate. The individual sections are unevenly serrated. A characteristic feature of the leaves are the three teeth that form on the tops of the lobes - they are best seen on the top of each leaf. The flowers are one on each stem - pink or red. This plant blooms in May.
The other species that is found in our country is Paeonia mascula or pink peony. It is an annual herbaceous plant with short rhizomes and thickened roots. The stems are 30-60 cm high, at the top they are one color. The leaves are 2-4, consecutive, once or twice trifoliate. The flowers have 5 green sepals and 5-10 large, pink-red petals and many yellow stamens. The fruit has up to 5 pods. This species also blooms in May. It grows in enlightened places in oak and hornbeam forests or among sparse shrubs, almost always on stony calcareous terrain. The number rarely exceeds 50 individuals, often only a few plants. Apart from Bulgaria, the pink peony is found in France, the countries of the former Yugoslavia, Ukraine and the Caucasus. Included in the list of protected plants under the Biodiversity Act.
Composition of peony
Peony roots contain peregrine (probably an alkaloid), a glucoside, a little essential oil, aromatic lactone, peonin, benzoic acid, benzoic acid ester, which when dissolved in ammonia turns into benzamide.
In addition, they also contain glutamine, arginine, resins, tannins, glucose, starch, organic acids, the aromatic substance peonol (2-oxy-4-methoxyacetophenone), which is attributed to the calming effect of the herb.
According to as yet unspecified data, the roots of the plant also contain an alkaloid, which is attributed to an action similar to the action of ergot alkaloids (Secale cornatum).
They also contain sucrose, calcium oxalate, mineral salts, etc. The petals contain the dye peonidine, tannins, an anthocyanin glucoside, cyanine and other unspecified ingredients. They are considered somewhat poisonous.
The seeds of peony contain peregrine (probably an alkaloid), fatty oil, resins, tannins, dyes and other as yet unexplored ingredients.
Growing a peony
Peonies prefer rich clay soils, well nourished. It is enough to fertilize them once in the spring, showing the tops of the stems. Peonies need regular watering, but they do not tolerate stagnant water. They grow equally successfully in the sun and partial shade. For larger flowers in species with more buds on one stem, only the top one is left.
Peony is propagated by dividing the rhizome. It is made in the autumn months. You can divide a rhizome into 4 or more parts depending on its size. Each part must have at least 3 buds. Only in this way the new young plant will bloom next year. It is planted at a depth of about 5 cm and at a distance of 70 cm from each other.
Collection and storage of peony
The roots (Radix Paeoniae), the petals (Flores Paeoniae, Flores Rosae benedictae) and the seeds (Semen Paeoniae) of peony. The roots are collected in October or before spring (March - April), the petals in May-July, and the seeds in August-September. After the seeds ripen, the roots are dug up, cleaned of soil, washed and allowed to drain. Then chop or cut into slices and prepare for drying. Petal picking is organized when the flowers are fully bloomed in rainless, possibly sunny weather.
The material must not be compacted and crushed until it is transported to the place of drying. Do not pick rusty or otherwise damaged petals. The seeds are harvested during the waxy ripeness of the fruit before the latter begin to crack.
After the fruits are left in a ventilated place to dry, they are pounded or threshed, and the fallen seeds are cleaned by sifting and sifting. The cleaned seeds are dried in ventilated rooms, spread on tarpaulins, canvases, etc., often stirring. The roots are dried in a ventilated room or in an oven at a temperature not exceeding 40 degrees, taking care not to burn.
After a thorough inspection of the collected petals to determine whether they are clean, the collected material is spread to dry in a very thin layer on frames or mats. In wet spring, drying must be carried out in an oven at a temperature of up to 50 degrees, in ovens or in heated rooms, spreading a thin layer on frames, and at first the material is often stirred so as not to steam.
The drying of this herb is a very delicate process and must be done very carefully, by experienced herbalists as quickly as possible. From 5 kg of fresh roots 1 kg of dry is obtained, from 7 kg of fresh petals 1 kg of dry is obtained, from 1.1 kg of seeds after additional drying 1 kg of dry is obtained. The dried petals are red or dark red. Their smell is slightly aromatic and the taste is sweet and tart. Dried roots are dark or light brown in color, with an unpleasant odor and bitter taste.
The finished drugs are stored in semi-dark and dry rooms in well-prepared packaging. Keep in mind that even with the slightest moisture in the warehouse, the herb and especially the petals can get wet and become completely unusable.
Benefits of peony
The peony is known mainly as an ornamental plant for flower beds and green areas. But in addition to a beautiful appearance, peony also has healing properties. Peony roots have been used since Hippocrates as an anti-epileptic. Pharmacological studies of peonin and benzamide in peony have shown their hypotensive effect. It has also been found that the roots in small doses increase the tone of the uterus and intestinal peristalsis.
Their action against spasms, whooping cough and asthma and as a painkiller for gout has also been established. Peony petals are used in Indian folk medicine against epilepsy, and in our folk medicine - against gout and rheumatism, spastic cough and others.
Folk medicine with peony
Our folk medicine recommends a decoction of the roots of peony in spasms and pain in the abdominal area, hysteria, epilepsy, as a diuretic, in sand and kidney stones. Bulgarian folk medicine offers the following recipe for a decoction with peony roots: 1/2 teaspoon of powdered roots is poured with two teaspoons of boiling water and after cooling the infusion is filtered. This is the dose for 1 day.
Harm from peony
The peony should not be used without medical supervision as it is poisonous. Peony poisoning is characterized by a bitter taste and dry mouth, hematuria, cardiospasm, nausea with vomiting and diarrhea.
