Adonis aestivalis#Subspecies

The genus name, Adonis, comes from a tale in Greek mythology. Aphrodite is said to have turned her lover, Adonis, into a plant with red flowers after his death.{{Cite book |last1=Burrows |first1=George E. |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781118413425 |title=Toxic Plants of North America |last2=Tyrl |first2=Ronald J. |date=2012-12-28 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-0-8138-2034-7 |edition=1 |language=en |doi=10.1002/9781118413425}} The specific epithet, aestivalis, is derived from Latin and means "pertaining to the summer".{{cite book |last1=Eggli |first1=Urs |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u2n5vusQ1DEC&pg=PA4 |title=Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names |last2=Newton |first2=Leonard E. |publisher=Springer |year=2004 |isbn=978-3-540-00489-9 |location=Berlin, Heidelberg |page=4 |access-date=12 November 2018}}

It is an annual herb that grows up to 0.1m (roughly 3 feet) tall. The stems are erect with simple, pinnately-dissected, alternate leaves and a small, terminal flower.{{Cite journal |last1=Woods |first1=L. W. |last2=Filigenzi |first2=M. S. |last3=Booth |first3=M. C. |last4=Rodger |first4=L. D. |last5=Arnold |first5=J. S. |last6=Puschner |first6=B. |date=May 2004 |title=Summer Pheasant's Eye ( Adonis aestivalis ) Poisoning in Three Horses |journal=Veterinary Pathology |language=en |volume=41 |issue=3 |pages=215–220 |doi=10.1354/vp.41-3-215 |pmid=15133169 |s2cid=20512909 |issn=0300-9858|doi-access=free }} The flowers are perfectThe radially symmetrical flowers are an orange to red colour, and each petal has a black splotch at its base. Its petals curl to form a cup-like shape. The fruit is an achene. A single flower can produce 50 to 100 seeds.{{Cite journal |last1=Brütting |first1=C. |last2=Wesche |first2=K. |last3=Meyer |first3=S. |last4=Hensen |first4=I. |date=2012-03-01 |title=Genetic diversity of six arable plants in relation to their Red List status |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-011-0212-z |journal=Biodiversity and Conservation |language=en |volume=21 |issue=3 |pages=745–761 |doi=10.1007/s10531-011-0212-z |s2cid=254289310 |issn=1572-9710}}

A. aestivalis has been used in European folk medicine to treat weak hearts by stimulating cardiac activity.{{cn|date=January 2023}} The plant is dried out and combined with some water to form a tonic.{{Cite book |last=Uphof|first= Johannes Cornelis Theodorus|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/48693661 |title=Dictionary of economic plants |date=1968 |publisher=Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh |isbn=3-904144-71-5 |oclc=48693661}}{{Cite book |last1=King |first1=John |title=King's American Dispensatory |last2=Lloyd|first2=John Uri |last3=Felter |first3=Harvey Wickes |publisher=Ohio Valley Co. |year=1905 |location=Cincinnati |pages=116–117}} It can be toxic at large doses, causing paralysis of the heart muscles. It is also used to treat coughs and spasms and as a diuretic and sleeping aid.{{cn|date=January 2023}} It has also been used in Iran to treat rheumatism and heart disease.{{Cite journal |last1=Hosseini |first1=Marzieh |last2=Taherkhani |first2=Mahboubeh |last3=Ghorbani Nohooji |first3=Majid |date=2019-03-19 |title=Introduction of Adonis aestivalis as a new source of effective cytotoxic cardiac glycoside |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14786419.2017.1413573 |journal=Natural Product Research |language=en |volume=33 |issue=6 |pages=915–920 |doi=10.1080/14786419.2017.1413573 |pmid=29237300 |s2cid=42349836 |issn=1478-6419}}

It is used in the homeopathic community as a remedy for heart and kidney diseases.

The flowers contain a pigment called astaxanthin, which gives the plant its blood-red colour.{{Cite journal |last1=Kamata |first1=Tadashi |last2=Neamtu |first2=Gavril |last3=Tanaka |first3=Yoshito |last4=Sameshima |first4=Muneo |last5=Simpson |first5=Kenneth L. |date=1990 |title=Utilization of Adonis aestivalis as a Dietary Pigment Source for Rainbow Trout Salmo gairdneri |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/suisan1932/56/5/56_5_783/_article |journal=Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi |volume=56 |issue=5 |pages=783–788 |doi=10.2331/suisan.56.783|doi-access=free }} The pigment may extracted from the flower and added to fish feed. This results in an accumulation of the red pigment in the flesh and skin of the fish, giving it a reddish colour that is palatable to consumers.{{Cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Chunyan |last2=Yao |first2=Wenxiang |last3=Wen |first3=Dengxin |last4=Li |first4=Xiaoqin |last5=Wu |first5=Shilin |last6=Leng |first6=Xiangjun |date=2020-08-28 |title=Dietary Adonis. aestivalis extract improved the flesh pigmentation, antioxidative status and shelf-life of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) |journal=Aquaculture Nutrition |volume=26 |issue=6 |pages=2032–2042 |doi=10.1111/anu.13144 |issn=1353-5773|doi-access=free }} However, if the entire flower is used, as opposed to just the extract, mortality may occur due to the toxic compounds present. The exact toxic mechanisms have yet to be studied.

Toxicity in humans is rarely reported or studied.{{Cite book |last1=Nelson |first1=Lewis S. |title=Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants |last2=Shih |first2=Richard D |last3=Balick |first3=Michael J |publisher=The New York Botanical Garden |year=2007 |isbn=978-0387-31268-2 |edition=2nd}} Toxicosis is rare in humans because it is unlikely to accumulate in the body, further, A. aestivalis contains lower levels of cardiac glycosides than other members of the Adonis genus, so toxicosis is very unlikely to occur as a result of consumption.{{Cite book |first=Dietrich |last=Frohne |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/43672725 |title=A colour atlas of poisonous plants : a handbook for pharmacists, doctors, toxicologists, biologists and veterinarians |date=2000 |publisher=Manson |isbn=1-874545-94-4 |oclc=43672725}} Toxicity may result in gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting. In extreme cases, this plant can excite nerves in the heart and increase arterial tension, later resulting in paralysis of the heart muscles and, consequently, death may occur.

Typically, A. aestivalis is not consumed by livestock as it is unpalatable and feed contaminated with the plant is usually refused. Toxicity results in gastrointestinal symptoms, cardiac arrhythmias, and death.{{cn|date=January 2023}} However, poisoning of livestock may be more common as it contaminates the fields harvested for hay and other animal feed.

Though cases are rare, toxicity has been reported in various livestock. A study examining horses after eating contaminated hay showed that the horses exhibited varying symptoms, ranging frrom gastrointestinal symptoms, lethargy, dehydration, and muscle tremors. However, most of the horses refused to eat the hay and did not suffer symptoms of A. aestivalis toxicity. In a small. acute-toxicity study with ewes, no clinical signs or life-threatening symptoms were observed but the long-term effects are unclear.{{Cite journal |last1=Woods |first1=L. W. |last2=Puschner |first2=B. |last3=Filigenzi |first3=M. S. |last4=Woods |first4=D. M. |last5=George |first5=L. W. |date=January 2011 |title=Evaluation of the toxicity of Adonis aestivalis in sheep |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.c6231 |journal=Veterinary Record |volume=168 |issue=2 |pages=49 |doi=10.1136/vr.c6231 |pmid=21257561 |s2cid=11010106 |issn=0042-4900}} Similarly, a small, acute-toxicity study with calves did not show life threatening symptoms but minor cardiac abnormalities and gastrointestinal issues were observed.{{Cite journal |last1=Woods |first1=Leslie W. |last2=George |first2=Lisle W. |last3=Anderson |first3=Mark L. |last4=Woods |first4=Dale M. |last5=Filigenzi |first5=Mike S. |last6=Puschner |first6=Birgit |date=September 2007 |title=Evaluation of the Toxicity of Adonis Aestivalis in Calves |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/104063870701900523 |journal=Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation |volume=19 |issue=5 |pages=581–585 |doi=10.1177/104063870701900523 |pmid=17823409 |s2cid=25326162 |issn=1040-6387}}

Like other members of the Adonis genus, this species contains cardenolides, a class of cardiac glycosides.{{cn|date=January 2023}} Cardiac glycosides are used to treat various heart diseases.

Subspecies include:{{Cite web|title=summer pheasant's eye - Encyclopedia of Life|url=https://eol.org/pages/594858|access-date=2022-01-07|website=eol.org}}

• Adonis aestivalis ssp. aestivalis
• Adonis aestivalis ssp. marginata
• Adonis aestivalis ssp. parviflora
• Adonis aestivalis ssp. squarrosa

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book | author=Bailey, L. H. | author-link=Liberty Hyde Bailey | title=Manual of Gardening (Second Edition). | url=https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9550 | year=2005 | publisher=Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation}}

• [http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?Genus=Adonis&Species=aestivalis Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture: Adonis aestivalis]
• [http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Adonis+aestivalis Plants for a Future: Adonis aestivalis]
• [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?6434,6439,6440 Jepson Manual Treatment]

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Aestivalis

Category:Flora of Europe

Category:Flora of Western Asia

Category:Medicinal plants of Europe