Abstract:

In 190 Paeonia rockii（flare tree peony）cultivars,the colorimeter was used to measure the flower color parameters in the full bloom period for two consecutive years,and the measured L^*,a^*,and b^* values were converted into H（Hue）,V（Value）and C（Chroma）values of the Munsell Color System. Then,according to the systematic clustering analysis of L^*,a^*,and b^* values combined with the ISCC-NBS Method,each petal sample’s color was described qualitatively. The result showed：the color classification by cluster analysis on the L^*,a^*,and b^* values can more accurately reflected the true color of flare tree peony than that by the ISCC-NBS Method,so that the flower colors can be classified into six color systems,including five colors like white,pink,red,purplish red and black red,and one blended color that can be identified directly by eyes. In such the newly-established color classification system of flare tree peony,the quantitative classification range of five color systems and the measurement value on the flower of each cultivar were obtained to realize the quantitative description of distinct color systems. These results supply important experimental data for the classification, identification and breeding of flare tree peony.

Key words: Paeonia rockii, flower color phenotype, quantitative classification, cluster analysis