P. altaica, P. laciniata, P. siberica, P. sinjiangensis Paeonia anomala is a species of herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Paeoniaceae.

Paeonia anomala is a non-woody species of peony ½–1 m high, with an irregular carrot-shaped taproot over ½ m long and 2 cm thick, gradually getting thinner downwards with slender side roots.

Towards the centre of the flower are many stamens consisting of filaments of ½–1 cm topped with anthers that ripen from the inside out, open with slits and release yellow pollen.

The two to five carpels are initially pale yellow with reddish stigmas, but eventually become green, may be hairless or covered in soft felty hairs.

Within, several large, initially red but eventually shiny black seeds of 6×4 mm develop, and each carpel opens by a slit over the entire length.

P. anomala however strongly resembles Paeonia intermedia, from which it can be distinguished because the latter has many spindle-shaped roots and at least the two innermost sepals are rounded.

[4] Pallas described in 1789 three further species, P. laciniata and P. siberiaca also from Siberia, and P. hybrida which developed from seed supposedly from a specimen of P. tenuifolia in the Saint Petersburg Botanical Garden.

Nikolai Schipczinsky grouped P. anomala, P. hybrida and as its variety intermedia together in the series Dentatae with the common character "leaf lobes incised or with dentate margin" in the 1937 Flora of the USSR.

[8] The species name anomala, meaning "deviant" is said to refer to the autumn color, which is unique among peonies.

P. anomala is known from Russia, ranging from the Kola Peninsula to the Altai Republic and Lake Baikal, northeastern Kazakhstan, China (northwest Xinjiang) and northern Mongolia.

[9] It grows in relatively moist circumstances like coniferous and deciduous forests, valleys and meadows, at the southern end at 1000–2500 m altitude, but further north down to sea level.

[2] Its northernmost population in the Taz River valley, grows in a forest with dwarfed trees like Larix sibirica, Betula pubescens, Alnus viridis subsp.

It is easy to grow and prefers a neutral or slightly alkaline, deep rich soil, but is also coping with lime.

[11] In the late 19th century, P. anomala roots were eaten raw and crumbled in soup in the North-West of Siberia by the Khakas people.

Extract of the fruit protects against oxidative stress, by free radical scavenging, higher glutathione concentrations in the cells, and inhibiting damage to the DNA.