What is "eranthis hyemalis"

Aconite \Ac"o*nite\, n. [L. aconitum, Gr. ?: cf. F. aconit.]

1. (Bot.) The herb wolfsbane, or monkshood; -- applied to any plant of the genus Aconitum (tribe Hellebore), all the species of which are poisonous.

2. An extract or tincture obtained from Aconitum napellus, used as a poison and medicinally.

   Winter aconite, a plant ( Eranthis hyemalis) allied to the aconites. [1913 Webster] ||

Eranthis \Eranthis\ prop. n. A genus of plants of the buttercup family including the winter aconite, Eranthis hyemalis.

Syn: genus Eranthis.

Eranthis hyemalis is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to calcareous woodland habitats in France, Italy and the Balkans and widely naturalised elsewhere in Europe. It is a tuberous-rooted herbaceous perennial growing to , with large , yellow, cup-shaped flowers held above a collar of 3 leaf-like bracts, appearing in late winter and early spring. The six sepals are bright yellow and petaloid and the petals are in the form of tubular nectaries. There are numerous stamens and usually six unfused carpels. The fruit are follicles each containing several seeds. It is commonly known as winter aconite, and is valued in cultivation as one of the earliest of all flowers to appear. E. hyemalis and the sterile hybrid cultivar 'Guinea Gold' have both gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

The Latin specific epithet hyemalis means "winter-flowering", while the name of the genus is a compound of the Greek elements Er 'Spring' and anthos 'flower' - so named for its early flowering.

As a spring ephemeral plant, its life cycle exploits the deciduous woodland canopy, flowering at the time of maximum sunlight reaching the forest floor, then completely dying back to its underground tuber after flowering.