Adonis (plant)

Adonis is a genus of about 20–30 species of flowering plants in the buttercup 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 mythical character Adonis, a lover of the goddess Aphrodite or Venus, and of Persephone, 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 of Ovid the anemone, also of the family Ranunculaceae, was created when Venus sprinkled nectar on his blood.