A Chinese lawmaker on Wednesday proposed naming peony as the national flower to fill what he called an embarrassing vacancy.

Su Fugong, a deputy to the nation's top legislature, said more than 100 countries have named their own national flowers, which leaves China as an embarrassing exception.

Naming peony as the national flower is an urgent issue, he said.

Peony has become China's de facto national flower for many national and international occasions. It was also widely used at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

In Chinese culture, peony is a symbol of prosperity. It grows across the southern region.