Adonis (plant)

Adonis
Adonis vernalis, spring pheasant's eye
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
Order:	Ranunculales
Family:	Ranunculaceae
Genus:	Adonis L.
Species
See text.

See text.

Adonis is a genus of about 20–30 species of flowering plants of the crowfoot family, Ranunculaceae, native to Europe and Asia.

The species grow to 10–40 centimetres (3.9–15.7 in) in height, with feathery, finely divided leaves. Their flowers 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 mythic character Adonis, a lover of the goddess Aphrodite or Venus. According to the Metamorphoses of Ovid the anemone, also of the family Ranunculaceae, was created when Venus sprinkled nectar on his blood.

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.

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