''Adonis'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of about 20–30 species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s of the crowfoot family,

Ranunculaceae Ranunculaceae (buttercup or crowfoot family; Latin "little frog", from "frog") is a family of over 2,000 known species of flowering plants in 43 genera, distributed worldwide. The largest genera are ''Ranunculus'' (600 species), ''Delphinium' ...

, native to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

and

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

. The species grow to in height, with feathery, finely divided leaves. Their

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are red, yellow or orange and have 5–30 petals. The Autumn Adonis, pheasant's-eye (''A. annua''), has flowers with bright red petals. The generic name ''Adonis'' refers to the mythical character

Adonis In Greek mythology, Adonis, ; derived from the Canaanite word ''ʼadōn'', meaning "lord". R. S. P. Beekes, ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 23. was the mortal lover of the goddess Aphrodite. One day, Adonis was gored by ...

, a lover of the goddess

Aphrodite Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols inclu ...

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...

, and of

Persephone In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Persephone ( ; gr, Περσεφόνη, Persephónē), also called Kore or Cora ( ; gr, Κόρη, Kórē, the maiden), is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She became the queen of the underworld after ...

, goddess of the underworld. Red flowers of the Adonis genus are said to have grown from the grave of Adonis, after he was slain by a wild boar possessed with unusual viciousness through instigation by the jealous Ares. According to the ''

Metamorphoses The ''Metamorphoses'' ( la, Metamorphōsēs, from grc, μεταμορφώσεις: "Transformations") is a Latin narrative poem from 8 CE by the Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his ''magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the ...

'' of

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...

Ovid ''Metamorphoses'' X 519-741 the

anemone ''Anemone'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Plants of the genus are commonly called windflowers. They are native to the temperate and subtropical regions of all continents except Australia, New Zealand an ...

, also of the family ''Ranunculaceae'', was created when Venus sprinkled nectar on his blood.

Selected species

*'' Adonis aestivalis'' - summer pheasant's-eye *'' Adonis aleppica'' *''

Adonis amurensis ''Adonis amurensis'', commonly known as Amur adonis and pheasant's eye, is a perennial plant with a golden yellow flower belonging to the Ranunculales order, and native to China (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning), Japan (Hokkaido), Korea, and Ru ...

'' - Far East Amur adonis *'' Adonis annua'' (syn. ''A. autumnalis'') - pheasant's-eye or blooddrops *'' Adonis bobroviana'' *'' Adonis chrysocyathus'' *'' Adonis coerulea'' *'' Adonis cyllenea'' *'' Adonis davidii'' *'' Adonis dentata'' *'' Adonis distorta'' *'' Adonis flammea'' *'' Adonis microcarpa'' *'' Adonis nepalensis'' *'' Adonis palaestina'' *'' Adonis pyrenaica'' from the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

, has thick foliage and large golden yellow flowers in early summer. *''

Adonis ramosa In Greek mythology, Adonis, ; derived from the Canaanite word ''ʼadōn'', meaning "lord". R. S. P. Beekes, ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 23. was the mortal lover of the goddess Aphrodite. One day, Adonis was gored by ...

'' *''

Adonis sibirica In Greek mythology, Adonis, ; derived from the Canaanite word ''ʼadōn'', meaning "lord". R. S. P. Beekes, ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 23. was the mortal lover of the goddess Aphrodite. One day, Adonis was gored by ...

'' *'' Adonis sutchuenensis'' *'' Adonis tianschanica'' *'' Adonis vernalis'' - spring pheasant's-eye *'' Adonis volgensis''

Cultivation and uses

They are cultivated for use in gardens, and have been introduced to North America. ''Adonis'' spp. contain poisonous chemicals similar to those found in many other genera in the Ranunculaceae.

References

External links

*
Flora of China: ''Adonis''USDA Plants Profile: ''Adonis''
Ranunculaceae genera {{Ranunculales-stub

Selected species

Cultivation and uses

See also

References

External links