winter aconite

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

See the blooming of winter aconite flowers

Read Next

Britannica’s Flower Bingo

Plant seedlings emerging from rich fertile soil

Do Plants Feel Pain?

Macro image of pollen-covered bee on purple crocus. (flowers, stamen, pollination, insects, nature)

5 Fast Facts About Flower Anatomy

Anemone coronaria, the poppy anemone, Spanish marigold, or windflower, is a species of flowering plant.

What’s the Difference Between Angiosperms and Gymnosperms?

9 Mind-Altering Plants

Discover

African Americans demonstrating for voting rights in front of the White House as police and others watch, March 12, 1965. One sign reads, "We demand the right to vote everywhere." Voting Rights Act, civil rights.

Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement

The Colosseum, Rome, Italy. Giant amphitheatre built in Rome under the Flavian emperors. (ancient architecture; architectural ruins)

New Seven Wonders of the World

Clouds of smoke billow up from controlled burns taking place in the Gulf of Mexico May 19, 2010. The controlled burns were set to reduce the amount of oil in the water following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. BP spill

The Perils of Industry: 10 Notable Accidents and Catastrophes

Queen Elizabeth II addresses at opening of Parliament. (Date unknown on photo, but may be 1958, the first time the opening of Parliament was filmed.)

All 119 References in “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Explained

Charles Darwin, carbon print photograph by Julia Margaret Cameron, 1868.

What Darwin Got Right (and Wrong) About Evolution

Is Zero an Even or an Odd Number?

Close-up of crocodile eye; location unknown (rainforest, reptile).

What’s the Difference Between Alligators and Crocodiles?

winter aconite

plant

Also known as: Eranthis

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Related Topics:: Ranunculaceae; aconite

See all related content

winter aconite, (genus Eranthis), genus of about seven species of perennial herbaceous plants of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) native to temperate regions of Europe and widely planted for their early spring flowers.

The solitary flowers consist of five to eight yellow or white sepals (petals are reduced or absent) and multiple stamens. They arise on short stalks from tuberous roots and are often among the first spring flowers to appear, frequently emerging when there is still snow on the ground. The divided leaves are pelate, meaning the leaf stem is attached in the centre of the leaf, and persist only until mid-spring, at which point the plant dies back.

Common winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis), a frequently cultivated species, grows about 20 cm (8 inches) tall or less and has flowers 2.5 cm across.

Venus's-flytrap. Venus's-flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) one of the best known of the meat-eating plants. Carnivorous plant, Venus flytrap, Venus fly trap

Britannica Quiz

Plants: From Cute to Carnivorous

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.