the peony family (order Saxifragales), consisting of only the genus Paeonia with about 33 species distributed in Europe, Asia, and western North America. Economically, the group is important for various garden species of peonies, whose showy large blossoms grow in a wide range of forms and colours. Several species of peonies of southern Europe and Asia were also cultivated for food and as a medicinal herb.

Britannica Editors. "Paeoniaceae". Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Jun. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/plant/Paeoniaceae. Accessed 17 October 2026.