ADONIS MICROCARPA

Family and Genus:- See- RANUNCULACEAE/Sect. ADONIS

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Adonis microcarpa ssp. cretica, Adonis dentata ssp.

microcarpa, Adonis intermedia

Meaning:- Adonis (Gr) For the Greek God, Adonis.

Microcarpa (Gr) Small fruited.

General description:- Annual, usually branched from the base or in the lower

part; branches between spreading and erect to almost spreading hairless

Stems:-

1) (5-)10-20(-35) cm

Leaves:-

1) Glabrous,

a) lower, petiolate, semi-amplexicaul at the base.

b) upper, sessile, broadly ovate to roundish, 3-pinnatifid, ultimate segments

linear, c. 1 mm broad, usually shortly 1-fid with the lobes acute or narrowing,

acuminate.

Flowers:-

1) Sepals, glabrous or with a few short straight hairs at the very base, brownish-

red, (rarely only near the margin), c. 2/3 as long as and almost as broad as the

petals, broadly oblanceolate; apex often acuminate and irregularly toothed.

2) Petals, patent, 4-10 x 2-5 mm, obovate, irregularly lenticulate at the apex, bright

red or yellow, mostly with a black basal blotch.

3) Anthers, 0.61.1 mm long.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes, 2.3-3(-3.5) mm, with a prominent convex hump; beak slightly

incurved, greenish-black in the upper part.

Key features:-

1) Petals, patent, 4-10 x 2-5 mm, obovate, irregularly lenticulate.

2) Achenes, 2.3-3(-3.5) mm long; ridge tapering into a slightly incurved, greenish-

black beak, almost always with scattered, minute, sessile, hyaline glands,

Click here for a glossary of terms used

Habitat:- Rocky limestone slopes with dry open shrubby vegetation and patches

of meadow, olive groves, field margins, wasteground. 0-300(-1700) m.

Distribution:- Widespread in the Mediterranean area. Coastal areas in southern

Greece, especialIy in the Aegean region. A few scattered location on Crete, not

common

Flowering time:- Mid-Mar to mid-May.

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis