Paeonia officinalis Linnaeus, Species Plantarum 1: 530. 1753.

"Habitat in Nemoribus montium Idae, Helvetiae." RCN: 3939.

Lectotype (Schmitt in Candollea 58: 183. 2003): Herb. Linn. No. 692.1 (LINN) .

Generitype of Paeonia Linnaeus.

Current name: Paeonia officinalis L. ( Paeoniaceae).

Note: Stern (Study Genus Paeonia: 126. 1946) suggested that the indirectly cited ("these quotations") Mattioli plates (for this and P. officinalis var. mascula) "appear to fix the type of the 2 peonies Linnaeus had in mind". Stern figured a plate on p. 121, as well as others from Mattioli and Fuchs. As the Mattioli plates are not directly cited by Linnaeus, they are not original material for the name. Stearn & Davis (Peonies of Greece: 78. 1984) also reproduced all the early cited illustrations.