Website/Catalog  (29 Jan 2010)  Includes photo(s).
 
Paeonia lactiflora Pall. var. fragrans
Fully-hardy herbaceous perennial with erect stems and dark green leaves and, in summer, usually solitary, double, cup- or bowl-shaped, fragrant, rose-coloured flowers.  To 70cm.  [RHSE, Hortus].  

Horticultural & Botanical History
Don describes the flowers of P. albiflora var. fragrans as being double, rose-coloured, although the figure in the Botanical Register shows flowers almost deep crimson in colour: ‘Of the double varieties of Paeonia albiflora, this was the first introduced into this country; it has been cultivated [at Kew] from 1805, but did not become general in the London nurseries for some years afterwards, and is still the least common of all.’  [BR f.485/1820]. 
‘The flowers of the Paeonia albiflora are fragrant, especially in the evening; the roots are said to be eaten in soups in Siberia.  Several varieties of this species are cultivated in the gardens, differing from one another in the size of the flowers and number, form, and colour of the petals; some being flesh-coloured, some pure white, some jagged at the margin, and some quite entire’  [BM t.1756/1815].  Paeonia edulis is figured at BM t.1768/1815 and Paeonia albiflora rosea at BM t.2888/1829.

History at Camden Park
Listed in all published catalogues [B.390/1843].

Book  (Jan 1917)  Page(s) 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.

Book  (Jan 1917)  Page(s) 45-46.  
 
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). Fragrans was the earliest sweet scented double variety grown in England.

Book  (1917)  Page(s) 224.  
 
Albiflora ( white flowered) . Central China and Siberia. Older Varieties:....Fragrans, the first named albiflora to be imported into England (1805)...

Magazine  (Nov 1911)  Page(s) 63-64.  
 
FRAGRANS. Correction to Bulletin 278, page 271. The above variety is wrongly described as " Andre Lauries " in the aforementioned publication. For a correct description of "Andre Lauries " see page 152. These two varieties have been somewhat confused, and " Fragrans " is more often sold as " Andre Lauries " than otherwise. " Fragrans " was introduced from China by Sir Joseph Banks in 1805, while " Andre Lauries " was originated by Crousse in 1881.

Synonym — " Fragrans " is also found in the trade under the following names " American Beauty," " Edulis," " Edulis Fragrans," " Chinensis Rubra," " Fragrantissima," " Monsieur Charles Leveque," and " Rosea Plenissima." These names should be stricken
 

Magazine  (Nov 1911)  Page(s) 63.  
 
EDULIS. This so-called variety is a synonym of " Fragrans," introduced from China by Sir Joseph Banks in 1805, since which it has masqueraded under many different names. See below.

EDULIS FRAGRANS. This so-called variety is a synonym of " Fragrans," introduced from China by Sir Joseph Banks in 1805, since which it has masqueraded under many different names. See below.

 

Magazine  (Nov 1911)  Page(s) 62.  
 
AMERICAN BEAUTY. This so-called variety is a synonym of " Fragrans," introduced from China by Sir Joseph Banks in 1805, since which it has masqueraded under many different names. See page 63
 

Magazine  (Nov 1911)  Page(s) 63.  
 
CHINENSIS RUBRA. This so-called variety is a synonym of " Fragrans," introduced from China by Sir Joseph Banks in 1805, since which it has masqueraded under many different names. See below.
 

Magazine  (Nov 1911)  Page(s) 64.  
 
FRAGRANTISSIMA. This so-called variety is a synonym of " Fragrans," introduced from China by Sir Joseph Banks in 1805, since which it has masqueraded under many different names. See page 63.
 

Magazine  (Nov 1911)  Page(s) 65.  
 
MONSIEUR DOFFREY. This so-called variety has come into the trade within recent years. Is a synonym
of " Fragrans." See " Fragrans," page 63.