Red Anemone

Red Anemone (Anemone pavonina) is a perennial flowering plant. The colour of its flowers can vary widely - most common in purple-pink, as in some species can be seen white spot in the center of the flower. Subspecies A. pavonina, which occurs much more rarely, has blood red petals. The perianth is composed of 8-9 petals. In the middle of the flower are situated numerous small stamens typical for the family Ranunculaceae to which the plant belongs. Stem leaves are seated, short and orbicular with deeply lobed margins.

The Anemone attracts the human’s interest since ancient times. There is a legend that during a hunt the son of the Cyprus king - Adonis, who was more beautiful than the Olympian gods, was deadly wounded by an enraged boar. The Goddess of love Aphrodite was bitterly weeping for the beautiful young man and to preserve his memory, ordered to grow of his blood sprayed all around over the land, the delicate flower Anemone.

According to other sources the current scientific name of the genus Anemone comes from the Greek Άνεμος meaning "wind." Perhaps the name was given because even the smallest breath of wind can sway the Anemone flowers.

The Red Anemone can reach a height of 10-30 cm. It prefers dry grassy and rocky places, but also occurs in sunny oak and hornbeam forests.
On Bulgarian territory the Red Anemone is common for Strandzha region, the Black Sea coast, the river valley of Struma, Eastern Rhodopes, Thracian Valley and the Tundzha plains.

The species is a representative of the Mediterranean floral elements. It is protected by the Law on Biological Diversity. As factors preventing the spread of Red Anemone can be mentioned the picking of its flowers for bouquets, digging up of whole plants, destroying its the habitats.

Bojana Ribarova