Abstract: In this study,we identified the composition of flavonols and their glycosides in the yellow inner-petals of three anemone-typed herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) cultivars by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) and by HPLC-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS2) and analyzed their relative content.The results showed that 11 flavonols and their glycosides (quercetin-3,7-O-diglucoside,kaempferol-3,7-O-diglucoside,isorhamnetin-3,7-O-diglucoside,quercetin-3-O-glucoside-6"-gallate,quercetin-3-O-galloylglucoside,kaempferol-3-O-glucoside-7-O-rhamnoside,quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside,kaempferol-3-O-glucoside-6"-gallate,kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucoside,isorhamnetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside and kaempferol).10 components of them were detected in three varieties,and only quercetin-3-O-galloylglucoside was not detected in ‘Xiangyang Qihua’,but the difference of the relative content of 11 kinds of components in yellow inner-petals of three varieties was larger.This study provides a theoretical basis for the formation mechanism of the yellow inner inner-petals of anemone-typed herbaceous peony cultivars and the further development and utilization of flavonoids.

Key words: herbaceous peony, anemone-typed, yellow inner-petals, flavonols, glycosides