Common Peony vs Formosan Serow

Paeonia officinalis compared with Capricornis swinhoei

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Peony	Formosan Serow
Kingdom	Plantae (พืช)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (สัตว์มีแกนสันหลัง)
Class	Magnoliopsida (พืชใบเลี้ยงคู่)	Mammalia (สัตว์เลี้ยงลูกด้วยน้ำนม)
Order	Saxifragales (อันดับอัสดง)	Artiodactyla (อันดับสัตว์กีบคู่)
Family	Paeoniaceae	Bovidae (Bovids)
Genus	Paeonia	Capricornis
Species	Paeonia officinalis	Capricornis swinhoei

Conservation Status

Common Peony

LC — Least Concern

Formosan Serow

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Peony	Formosan Serow
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Peony

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (9 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

Formosan Serow

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Taiwan.

Common Peony

<em>Paeonia officinalis</em>, the common peony, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Paeoniaceae, widely cultivated for its large, showy flowers ranging from deep red to pink and white. In the wild, it typically grows in open woodlands, scrublands, and rocky hillsides across southern and central Europe, with native or naturalised populations documented in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Canada, and numerous other European and North American countries. The species prefers well-drained soils in partially shaded to open positions and produces large, deeply divided leaves alongside its ornamental blooms, which appear in late spring. <em>Paeonia officinalis</em> has a long history of medicinal and ornamental use spanning millennia, and numerous cultivated varieties have been developed. It is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting stable populations in many parts of its native range, though wild populations can be locally threatened by over-collection, agricultural expansion, and habitat conversion. Biological traits such as average lifespan of individual plants, precise dimensions, and detailed dietary or metabolic data remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. The species plays a role in supporting pollinators, particularly beetles and bees that visit its flowers.