Prof. Hong Tao

2018

Strauchpfingstrose. Sämling  SPIN 94.020. Eltern unbekannt. Den Samen erhielt SPIN Mitglied Jim Waddick von der Universität Lanzhou, Gansu Province China 1994, dieser gab ihn an Leo Fernig weiter und wir durften 4 Samen davon auswählen. Erste Blüte 1999. Einfache schalenförmige Blüte mit 2 Reihen Blütenblätter, die leicht gerüscht sind. Eine granat-rote Blüte (RHS CC 45A) pro Stängel mit einem Durchmesser von 18-20 cm. Schwarze Basalflecken mit auslaufendem Rand. Die Staubfäden tragen Pollen und sind an der Basis rot nach weiß verlaufend. Fünf hellgrüne Karpelle, die schwach behaart sind und von einer roten Scheide umschlossen werden. Die Narben sind rot und normal ausgebildet.  Duft. Blütezeit ist frühe bis mittlere Saison. Die Blätter entsprechen dem typischen Laub der Gansu Mudan. Buschiger Wuchs, ausgewachsen 180-200 cm hoch. 

Prof. Hong Tao

2018

APS Bulletin June 2018 No. 386

(Irmtraud and Gottlob Rieck, Bad Rappenau, Germany, March 2018)

(Suffruticosa Gp) — Seedling SPIN 94.020. Parentage unknown. Grown from a seed received from Lanzhou University, Gansu Province of China in 1994, initially given to SPIN member Jim Waddick, USA, and then to Leo Fernig, Switzerland, before arriving in the originator's garden. First bloomed 1999. SINGLE flower form with 2 rows of petals, 1 flower per stem, 7-8 inches in diameter (18-20 cm). Flowers are displayed well, their color garnet-red (RHS CC 45A). Black flares, with bleeding edges, extend a third the length of the petals. Petals are cupped and somewhat ruffled. Pollen bearing stamens with filaments red at the base and white at the tips. Five carpels, yellowish-green, moderately hairy, enclosed by a red sheath. Stigmas red, normal anatomy, fertile. Fragrance. Early midseason bloom period. Foliage typical of Gansu Mudan. Upright growth, somewhat spreading, height at maturity 70-79 inches (180-200 cm). To be propagated and distributed by W. Giessler, Gross-Rosenburg, Germany.

Prof. Hong Tao Biografy

Prof Hong (family name) Tao was born in Jiangsu Province of China in Dec. 3, 1923. He studied botany at University of Nanjing and became an expert in Chinese trees. As he was a corresponding member of International Dendrology Society, Italian member Dr. Gian Lupo Osti contacted him on his first trip to China and asked him many questions about woody tree peony species. So Hong Tao recognized, that there is a wide field which needed to be investigated. Being employed at the Chinese Academy of Forestry in Beijing, Hong Tao already had best connections to the people who lived in forestry areas. In several trips with and without Lupo Osti he explored many hot spots of woody tree peony species, all over that huge country. Hong Tao also studied the historic European publications since the beginning of 1800 and compared them with the newest British publication (Haw and Lauener, 1990).

It is his achievement to state that P. suffruticosa (Andrews 1804) in fact is a hybrid and not a species plant, as the picture of P. suffruticosa shows a bomb type flower, which is a sign of hybridization. Hong Tao therefore raised P. suffruticosa subsp. rockii (Haw & Lauener 1990) to species status and named it P. rockii 1992. Other Chinese species he named, always together with changing co-authors, are:

P. rockii subsp. linyanshanii (T. Hong & G.L.Osti 1994)

P. ostii (T.Hong & J.X. Zhang 1992)

P. jishanensis (T. Hong &  W. Z. Zhao 1992).

These publications were also published in English language in the Bulletin of the American Peony Society No. 283 June 1992. He was not only author of peony publications, but also author or co-author of several basically dendrological works in China like: „Higher Plants of China“ an issue of 13 volumes, „Silva Sinica“ 1997, 3 volumes and as we visited him in April 2000 he was busy working as co-author of „Red plant list of China“.

The last decade of the 20th century was the most fruitful in research of woody peony species of Section Moutan in China. Prof. Hong Tao was one of the leading scientists and opened the „eyes“ of other botanists in this relatively new field of botanical research.

In 1993 Prof. Hong Tao made a trip to Europe and visited several countries. While he stayed with us he said an important sentence, which influenced our lives: „You cannot know everything in botany, you must concentrate.“ Yes, we did and still do, concentrating in peonies. Thank you, dear elder brother.