"Pyrethrum" in Peonies

IN 1962, it was reported that the petals of Paeonia albiflora Pall. contain considerable quantities of “pyrethroids” 1 . The chemical evidence was based on ultraviolet absorption maxima and on the supposed isolation of chrysanthemum mono- and di-carboxylic acids. Evidence that the compounds isolated from the peony were not identical with the pyrethroids that occur in Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium is the reported melting point (205–206°) for the diacid. Naturally occurring (+)-chrysanthemum dicarboxylic acid has a melting point of 164° (ref. 2).