FLORA DOMESTICA, 



IfC. 



ADONIS. 



RANUNCULACE^I. POLYANDRIA POLYGYNIA. 



Italian, adonio. French, adonide ; rose rubi ; gouttes de sang [drops 

 of blood] ; aile de faisan [pheasant's- wing] ; ceil de perdrix [partridge's 

 eye] . Greek, eranthemon [spring-flower] . English, adonis-flower ; 

 bird's eye ; pheasant's eye ; flos-adonis. The autumnal adonis is also 

 called red maythes, red morocco ; to which Gerarde adds may- weed, 

 and red camomile. " Our London women," says he, " do call it rose- 

 a-rubie." 



THIS flower owes its classical name to Adonis, the fa- 

 vourite of Venus : some say its existence also ; maintaining 

 that it sprung from his blood, when dying. It is likely 

 that the name arose from confounding it with the anemone, 

 which it resembles. There are, however, other flowers 

 which lay claim to this illustrious origin ; the larkspur is 

 one, but the claim is too weak to be generally allowed. 

 Moschus has conferred this distinction on the rose. Others, 

 again, trace its pedigree to the tears which Venus shed 

 upon her lover's body ; and Gerarde would persuade us 

 that these tears gave birth to the Venice-mallow : but the 

 anemone has pretty generally established her descent from 

 both parents. See Anemone. 



