ADO'NIS, a genus of plants belonging to the natural order Ranun• culaceer, and containing many species of very great beauty. The name is merely poetical. Adonis is distinguished from Ranunculus by the want of a little scale at the base of the petals, and from other genera of the order by the numerous hard, dry, sharp-pointed grains of which its fruit consists.
Botanists divide the genus into two sections, the first of which comprehends all the annual kinds, the second all the perennials. Ten species are spoken of as belonging to the first section, inhabiting corn fields and similar dry exposed places, chiefly in the south of Europe and north of Africa. Some of them have deep crimson flowers, as A. autumnalis, the common Pheasant's-Eye of our gardens ; in others the blossoms are yellow : it is not improbable that they are all varieties of the same species.
Of the perennial kinds, A. vernal is, which is common in gardens in England, is found in a wild stato abundantly on all the mountains of middle Europe. Its flowers have from ten to twelve petals of a yellow colour, and of a brilliancy which is rendered the more dazzling by the deep green tuft of finely-divided leaves among which they expand. It is only a few inches high, and is one of the early har bingers of spring. Three others are described, all mountain plants, resembling A. vernalis in general appearance, but perhaps still more beautiful. They seem to have been occasionally brought to this country, but to have been soon lost again.
Nothing has been remarked as to the sensible properties of these plants ; they doubtless partake of the acridity so prevalent in their tribe.