Άδωνις ο μονοετής
Etymology of Adonis annua
The genus name "Adonis" derives from the Greek myth of Adonis [Άδωνις], a strikingly handsome youth beloved by the goddess Aphrodite. According to the legend, when Adonis was fatally wounded, red flowers sprang from his blood. The ancient Greek stories, particularly Ovid's Metamorphoses, recount that it was the Anemone that sprang from the blood of Adonis as Aphrodite mourned him. The vibrant red color of some anemones is seen as a direct representation of this event. Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy, later named the genus Adonis in honor of the mythological figure due to the striking beauty and often blood-red color of many species within this genus. He likely saw a resemblance and a fitting tribute in these flowers. The specific epithet annua is Latin, meaning "annual," referring to the plant's life cycle of completing its growth, flowering, and seed production within a single year. Thus, Adonis annua literally translates to the "annual Adonis flower," connecting its fleeting beauty to the mythical figure and its yearly lifespan.
Habitat of Adonis annua
Adonis annua, commonly known as Pheasant's-eye, is native to a wide range encompassing Southern and Central Europe, the Mediterranean region extending to Western Asia and Iran, and North Africa. It typically grows as an annual in arable fields, particularly in the margins and corners of cereal fields, as well as in other disturbed habitats like roadside verges, waste ground, and occasionally in regularly disturbed grasslands. The plant generally prefers free-draining calcareous soils, often of chalk or limestone origin, but can also be found on calcareous clay soils. While once considered a common arable weed, its populations have declined significantly due to modern agricultural practices, and it is now scarce in many regions, even considered endangered in some areas like the UK.
The plant in Cyprus
Three Adonis species are encountered in Cyprus. Adonis annua is a relatively rare plant in Cyprus, mostly growing in the western half of the island, up to an altitude of 925 meters. Its flowering period is between February and May.
