The Curved Flower of the Apennine Summits

Habit: A perennial herb 5-20 cm tall. Stem: Glossy green, often flexible or curved. Leaves: Bright green, bipinnate, with very narrow and pointed segments giving them a delicate, feathery appearance; basal leaves are stalked and sheathing, while upper leaves are sessile and reduced. Flowers: Solitary and terminal, with 8 to 18 yellow or whitish petals, complemented by bright yellow, elongated and slightly curved anthers. Fruits: A compact cluster of wrinkled, curved achenes with a characteristic bent beak. Flowering: June-August.

Chorological type: Italian endemic. Distribution: Present in Marche, Umbria, Lazio and Abruzzo. Habitat: It grows on screes and high-altitude calcareous slopes, between 2000 and 2500 m above sea level.

Generic name (Adonis): Refers to the myth of the youth Adonis, symbol of ephemeral beauty and rebirth. Specific name (distorta): Describes the curved stem, which seems to bend gracefully in the wind.

Curved adonis is a rare species listed in the Red Book of Italian Plants and protected by the Bern Convention and the European Habitats Directives. The main threats to its survival are trampling by hikers and climate change, which are causing the progressive reduction of the snow-bed habitats required by the species.