Adonis aestivalis, the summer pheasant's-eye,[1] is a medicinal[2] and ornamental plant. It is native to Europe and Asia but has been introduced elsewhere, such as the western and eastern parts of the United States, as an ornamental plant. In particular, it has been known to invade alfalfa fields, contaminating feed used for horse hay.[3] It is a member of the buttercup family. It is an annual herb.[4]
| Adonis aestivalis | |
|---|---|
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| Adonis aestivalis | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Ranunculaceae |
| Genus: | Adonis |
| Species: | A. aestivalis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Adonis aestivalis | |
Etymology
editThe 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.[5] The specific epithet, aestivalis, is derived from Latin and means "pertaining to the summer".[6]
Description
editIt 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.[7] The flowers are perfectThe radially symmetrical flowers are an orange to red colour, and each petal has a black splotch at its base.[5] Its petals curl to form a cup-like shape.[7] The fruit is an achene.[2] A single flower can produce 50 to 100 seeds.[8]
Uses
editMedicinal Uses
editA. aestivalis has been used in European folk medicine to treat weak hearts by stimulating cardiac activity.[citation needed] The plant is dried out and combined with some water to form a tonic.[9][10] It can be toxic at large doses, causing paralysis of the heart muscles.[10] It is also used to treat coughs and spasms and as a diuretic and sleeping aid.[citation needed] It has also been used in Iran to treat rheumatism and heart disease.[11]
It is used in the homeopathic community as a remedy for heart and kidney diseases.[10]
Fish feed
editThe flowers contain a pigment called astaxanthin, which gives the plant its blood-red colour.[12] 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.[13][12] However, if the entire flower is used, as opposed to just the extract, mortality may occur due to the toxic compounds present.[12] The exact toxic mechanisms have yet to be studied.
Toxicity
editIn humans
editToxicity in humans is rarely reported or studied.[14] 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.[15] Toxicity may result in gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting.[5] 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.[10]
In livestock
editTypically, A. aestivalis is not consumed by livestock as it is unpalatable and feed contaminated with the plant is usually refused.[7] Toxicity results in gastrointestinal symptoms, cardiac arrhythmias, and death.[citation needed] However, poisoning of livestock may be more common as it contaminates the fields harvested for hay and other animal feed.[7]
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.[7] 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.[16] Similarly, a small, acute-toxicity study with calves did not show life threatening symptoms but minor cardiac abnormalities and gastrointestinal issues were observed.[17]
Toxicology
editLike other members of the Adonis genus, this species contains cardenolides, a class of cardiac glycosides.[7][citation needed] Cardiac glycosides are used to treat various heart diseases.[11]
Subspecies
editSubspecies include:[18]
- Adonis aestivalis ssp. aestivalis
- Adonis aestivalis ssp. marginata
- Adonis aestivalis ssp. parviflora
- Adonis aestivalis ssp. squarrosa
References
edit- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ a b Heyn, Chaia C.; Pazy, Batia (1989). "The annual species of Adonis (Ranunculaceae) —a polyploid complex". Plant Systematics and Evolution. 168 (3/4): 181–193. doi:10.1007/BF00936098. ISSN 0378-2697. JSTOR 23674226. S2CID 2980304.
- ^ Knight, Anthony (2007-01-01). A Guide to Poisonous House and Garden Plants. Teton NewMedia. doi:10.1201/b16160. ISBN 978-1-4822-4104-4.
- ^ "Adonis aestivalis Calflora". www.calflora.org. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
- ^ a b c Burrows, George E.; Tyrl, Ronald J. (2012-12-28). Toxic Plants of North America (1 ed.). Wiley. doi:10.1002/9781118413425. ISBN 978-0-8138-2034-7.
- ^ Eggli, Urs; Newton, Leonard E. (2004). Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer. p. 4. ISBN 978-3-540-00489-9. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f Woods, L. W.; Filigenzi, M. S.; Booth, M. C.; Rodger, L. D.; Arnold, J. S.; Puschner, B. (May 2004). "Summer Pheasant's Eye ( Adonis aestivalis ) Poisoning in Three Horses". Veterinary Pathology. 41 (3): 215–220. doi:10.1354/vp.41-3-215. ISSN 0300-9858. PMID 15133169. S2CID 20512909.
- ^ Brütting, C.; Wesche, K.; Meyer, S.; Hensen, I. (2012-03-01). "Genetic diversity of six arable plants in relation to their Red List status". Biodiversity and Conservation. 21 (3): 745–761. doi:10.1007/s10531-011-0212-z. ISSN 1572-9710. S2CID 254289310.
- ^ Uphof, Johannes Cornelis Theodorus (1968). Dictionary of economic plants. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh. ISBN 3-904144-71-5. OCLC 48693661.
- ^ a b c d King, John; Lloyd, John Uri; Felter, Harvey Wickes (1905). King's American Dispensatory. Cincinnati: Ohio Valley Co. pp. 116–117.
- ^ a b Hosseini, Marzieh; Taherkhani, Mahboubeh; Ghorbani Nohooji, Majid (2019-03-19). "Introduction of Adonis aestivalis as a new source of effective cytotoxic cardiac glycoside". Natural Product Research. 33 (6): 915–920. doi:10.1080/14786419.2017.1413573. ISSN 1478-6419. PMID 29237300. S2CID 42349836.
- ^ a b c Kamata, Tadashi; Neamtu, Gavril; Tanaka, Yoshito; Sameshima, Muneo; Simpson, Kenneth L. (1990). "Utilization of Adonis aestivalis as a Dietary Pigment Source for Rainbow Trout Salmo gairdneri". Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi. 56 (5): 783–788. doi:10.2331/suisan.56.783.
- ^ Zhang, Chunyan; Yao, Wenxiang; Wen, Dengxin; Li, Xiaoqin; Wu, Shilin; Leng, Xiangjun (2020-08-28). "Dietary Adonis. aestivalis extract improved the flesh pigmentation, antioxidative status and shelf-life of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)". Aquaculture Nutrition. 26 (6): 2032–2042. doi:10.1111/anu.13144. ISSN 1353-5773.
- ^ Nelson, Lewis S.; Shih, Richard D; Balick, Michael J (2007). Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants (2nd ed.). The New York Botanical Garden. ISBN 978-0387-31268-2.
- ^ Frohne, Dietrich (2000). A colour atlas of poisonous plants : a handbook for pharmacists, doctors, toxicologists, biologists and veterinarians. Manson. ISBN 1-874545-94-4. OCLC 43672725.
- ^ Woods, L. W.; Puschner, B.; Filigenzi, M. S.; Woods, D. M.; George, L. W. (January 2011). "Evaluation of the toxicity of Adonis aestivalis in sheep". Veterinary Record. 168 (2): 49. doi:10.1136/vr.c6231. ISSN 0042-4900. PMID 21257561. S2CID 11010106.
- ^ Woods, Leslie W.; George, Lisle W.; Anderson, Mark L.; Woods, Dale M.; Filigenzi, Mike S.; Puschner, Birgit (September 2007). "Evaluation of the Toxicity of Adonis Aestivalis in Calves". Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation. 19 (5): 581–585. doi:10.1177/104063870701900523. ISSN 1040-6387. PMID 17823409. S2CID 25326162.
- ^ "summer pheasant's eye - Encyclopedia of Life". eol.org. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
- Bailey, L. H. (2005). Manual of Gardening (Second Edition). Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.