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.

The Autumn Adonis, pheasant's-eye (A. annua), has flowers with bright red petals.

[1] According to the Metamorphoses of Ovid[2] the anemone, also of the family Ranunculaceae, was created when Venus sprinkled nectar on his blood.

Some or all of the basal leaves are reduced to vaginiform scales at the lower stem ridges.

Type: A. vernalia L. Basal leaves 3-5 normally developed, 3-pinnate-sectate, long petiolate, base broadly and thinly sheathed, oblong plates, circ.

4 reduced to thinly membranous dark-brown narrowly ovate or oblong scales 7-10mm wide.

Achenium glabrous, smooth, arched-convex on the back, lacking a transverse crest, longitudinally 2-ribbed on both sides, persistent style short circ.

3-4-ternate-pinnate-secta, long petiolate, triangular plates, 3-5 membranous dark-brown oblong or ovate-oblong circ.

Achenium glabrous or pubescent, dorsum arched-convex, rarely truncate at very convex apex, provided with a narrow transverse crest or lacking it, inconspicuously or distinctly longitudinally veined on both sides, persistent style more or less elongate 1.2-4mm long with hooked-curved apex.

Median and upper cauline leaves normally developed, 3-4-ternate-pinnate-sectate or 2-3-pinnate-sectate, longitudinally shortly petiolate or sessile, ovate or triangular plates, rarely elliptic.

Achenium pubescent, very convex at the back tip, rounded-truncate, lacking a transverse crest, wrinkled or reticulate on both sides, short persistent style 0.4–1 mm long, often strongly recurved achene appressed, rarely straight substraight or slightly recurved.

Carpel dorso-ventrally compressed below anthesis, flattened, lanceolate, gradually tapering from the ovary upwards into the generally broad style, longitudinally 1-ribbed on the back, glabrous.

Type: A. annual L. Achene lacking a ventral projection, provided with a transverse ridge, persistent style more or less elongated 0.8–3 mm long tip often recurved.

Achene provided with a ventral projection and a transverse crest, a short persistent style 0.2-l(-2)mm long straight rarely recurved.