Abstract: The wild species of Subsect Delavayanae of peony have important breeding value. This study analyzed the hybridization affinity of wild species peony of Subsect Delavayanae and screened out hybrid combinations or types with good affinity through artificial hybridization between wild species peony of Subsect Delavayanae, as well as between wild and cultivated species. The results showed that the hybridization among Paeonia delavayi, Paeonia lutea, and Paeonia potanini generally had a high seed setting quantity, and the harvested seeds had a good germination rate. However, when using Paeonia ludlowii as the parent, although some seeds were also received, the seeds didn’t germinate. When the wild species of Subsect Delavayanae were used as the female parent and hybridized with the cultivated species of the Subsect Vaginatae, the average seed setting quantity decreased from high to low: Paeonia lutea > Paeonia delavayi > Paeonia ludlowii > Paeonia potanini, while the wild species as the male parent, the average seed setting quantity decreased from high to low: Paeonia potanini > Paeonia lutea > Paeonia delavayi > Paeonia ludlowii. Most of the hybrid combinations between the wild species of the Subsect Delavayanae and the cultivated varieties of the Subsect Vaginatae could bear fruit normally, showing a certain degree of affinity. However, the fruit setting rate and seed emergence rate of the wild species of Subsect Delavayanae as the female parent were higher than those of the wild species of Subsect Delavayanae as the male parent.

Key words: peony, Subsect Delavayanae, hybridization affinity