CHRYSANTHEMUMS AND PEONIES ARE THE OFFICIAL BIRTH FLOWERS FOR NOVEMBER
CHRYSANTHEMUMS
Chrysanthemum, (genus Chrysanthemum), genus of about 40 species of flowering plants in the aster family (Asteraceae), native primarily to subtropical and temperate areas of the Old World. Chrysanthemums are especially common in East Asia, where they are often depicted in art, and many are popular ornamentals.
Most plants of the genus are perennial herbs or subshrubs. Many have simple aromatic leaves that alternate along the stem. Some have both disk and ray flowers in the heads, but others lack ray or disk flowers. Cultivated species and hybrids usually have large flower heads; those of wild species are much smaller.
PEONIES
Peony, (genus Paeonia), genus of about 30 species of flowering plants (family Paeoniaceae) known for their large showy blossoms. All but two species are native to Europe and Asia, and several species are cultivated as ornamentals and for the floral industry.
There are three distinct groups of peonies: the herbaceous Eurasian peonies, the Asian tree, or moutan, peonies, and the North American peonies. The herbaceous peonies are perennials that grow to a height of almost 1 metre (about 3 feet). They have large, glossy, much-divided leaves borne on annual stems produced by fleshy rootstocks. In late spring and early summer they produce large single and double flowers of white, pink, rose, and deep crimson colour. The fragrant Chinese peony (P. lactiflora) and the European common peony (P. officinalis) have given rise to most of the familiar garden peonies. P. lactiflora has provided hundreds of cultivated varieties, including the Japanese types, with one or two rows of petals surrounding a cluster of partially formed petals in the centre (petaloid stamens).
