Peony (Paeonia coriacea)
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IDENTIFICATION
It is an evergreen plant with whitish and hairless stems (up to 45 cm high). The lower leaves are biternated (slightly divided twice), wide, oval or elongated, with a rounded hairless base. The upper leaves are ternated (divided thrice) or simple. The flowers are large and showy (15 cm diameter) and of a pink colour. The sepales (up to 4 x 2 cm) are unequal, wide, round, tough and resistant. They go along with a kind of bract item. The yarns are very abundant, outstanding from the flower and of an intense yellowish colour. The fruit (up to 4,5 cm) has 2 to 4 follicles, normally 3. It lacks furs and has a very pronounced style.
WHERE DOES IT LIVE?
This species grows in broad daylight, in cleared forests. It can bear shade very well and can grow under the forest canopy. It mainly develops in forests of fall oaks, holm oaks, cork trees and riverbanks woods. This species is indifferent to the kind of substrate, so it can be found both in acid and basic soils, from 700 to 1850 meters above sea level. It requires deep soils, well drained, fresh and somewhat humid soils, so that it is usually associated with the most ripe state of woody formations.
HOW DOES IT LIVE?
It is a monoecious species (there are both female and male flowers on a single hermaphrodite plant). The flowers are pink, solitary, of a large size and showy. They are very attractive to insects, so that pollination is entomophil, mostly made by bees. It has very primitive features: the numerous and elongated yarns, typical of very ancient species in evolutionary history. It flowers in spring, from April to June. It fruits in summer, from July to September.
WHERE CAN WE SEE IT IN THE MALAGA PROVINCE?
It is a very common species in the Malaga province, and it can be found on a very dispersed way all over the territory, always associated with very developed holm-oaks, gall oaks and cork oaks forests. It is also very represented in the most western part of the province, in the surroundings of Sierra de las Nieves, in the environment of Montejaque and in the Camarolos, El Jobo and San Jorge mountain ranges. On the Great Path, it can be detected on stages 11, 12 and 22 to 26.
CURIOUS FACTS
During the Greeck mythology, Peán-Apollo (the god saving gods) cured Pluton using peony. In some places in Europe, when children were teething, they were given a necklace with peony seeds: a not very prudent tradition because the seeds, although they are very showy, are also very toxic.
SIMILAR SPECIES
It can be confused with Peonia broteri species can be found below 700 m of altitude whereas the Peonia coriacea can not. Moreover, the fruit stems and follicles are different. P.broteri has reddish stems and 5 follicles, P.coriacea has whitish stems and only 3 follicles.
Routes where it can be observed
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 11. Alfarnate - Villanueva del Rosario
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 12. Villanueva del Rosario - Archidona
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 22. Ardales - El Burgo
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 23. El Burgo - Ronda
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 24. Ronda - Estación de Benaoján
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 25. Estación de Benaoján - Jimera de Líbar
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 26. Jimera de Líbar - Benalauría