Which large-flowered plant is named after Paeon/Paean, Greek god of medicine and healing?
Peony is related to a group of families with woody species in the order Saxifragales. This results in the following relationship tree. One dissertation suggests the section "Onaepia" branches off earliest. A later publication of the same author and others suggests the "Moutan"-section splits off first. Within that section "P. ludlowii" and "P. delavayi" are more related to each other than to any other species. The peony is named after Paeon (also spelled Paean), a student of Asclepius and the Greek god of medicine and healing. In Greek Mythology, when Asclepius became jealous of his pupil, Zeus saved Paeon from the
Paean (god) Paean (god) In Greek mythology, Paean (Ancient Greek: Παιάν), Paeëon or Paieon (Παιήων), or Paeon or Paion (Παιών) was the physician of the gods. The name "Paean" is believed to be first attested in Mycenaean Greek as an alternative name of Apollo; the attested form of the name, written in Linear B, is , "pa-ja-wo-ne". A god of healing named is mentioned twice in the "Iliad". In book 5, the Olympian god of war Ares is wounded by mortal hero Diomedes, who is assisted by Athena. Ares is taken up to Olympus in a hurry, where Paeon applies medicine ()