DNA testing is just beginning. If you go by the appearance they are two different plants. What is sold as true P. japonica is a single stemmed plant that if you look at it from the side appears palm tree shaped with leaves at the top and straight stem. P. obovata that is being sold as var. japonica has many stems and branches along with a bushy appearance. This is one plant that I strongly disagree with Hong. Hong has placed it in obovate, auto correct keeps changing name, which is new within about the last 10-15 years. Before that the books generally considered it as P. japonica. I believe Stern used an entirely different name and was not certain it belonged in the peony family or should be in a new family. It may not have been Stern but that is the name that first comes to my mind but someone proposed the third family.

Hmm ok.. I am a little confused now. So some plants sold in nurseries labeled as paeonia japonica may actually be a paeonia obovata var. japonica and vice versa? And that paeonia japonica might not even be a peony???

And is this plant I have a paeonia japonica or paeonia obovata var. japonica?

I just read part of the article from hong. So it seems like Hong did place paeonia japonica into obovata. Why do you disagree with that?

Because of the morphology of the plant. I am not the only person that disagrees with him. When DNA is tested the question may be settled. Do you have any P. obovate to compare to your plant which I would identify from its picture as a japonica.

I don't have any Obovata to compare. So my plant is just a pure paeonia japonica or paeonia obovata var japonica? I believe it had multiple stems

To me the leaves are not correct for japonica or obovata. Lacking the shape for what I call japonica, not normally that pointed, and the hairiness of obovata along with the stems for much of that family are reddish or blueish. It may be in the obovata family somewhere as that family is very, very, large. If I can remember which species it is I will post. Most of my books are in the car waiting to be taken to a friend.

Well I just bought this plant and planted it in fall 2016 and the pic was taken in spring 2017 if that makes a difference. So its still young. Around 3-4 years old. It bloomed in late April

On a side note,These are already starting to emerge from the ground..its only January! And we also had record cold temps this year. This is weird..