Dianthus
| Dianthus | |
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| Dianthus plumarius flower | |
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| Genus: | Dianthus |
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About 300 species; see text | |
Dianthus is a genus of about 300 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native mainly to Europe and Asia, with a few species extending south to north Africa, and one species (D. repens) in arctic North America. Common names include carnation (D. caryophyllus), pink (D. plumarius and related species) and sweet william (D. barbatus). The name Dianthus is from the Greek words dios ("god") and anthos ("flower"), and was cited by the Greek botanist Theophrastus.
The species are mostly perennial herbs, a few are annual or biennial, and some are low subshrubs with woody basal stems. The leaves are opposite, simple, mostly linear and often strongly glaucous grey-green to blue-green. The flowers have five petals, typically with a frilled margin, and are (in almost all species) pale to dark pink. One species (D. knappii) has yellow flowers with a purple centre.
Dianthus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Cabbage Moth, Double-striped Pug, Large Yellow Underwing and The Lychnis Also three species of Coleophora case-bearers feed exclusively on Dianthus: C. dianthi, C. dianthivora and C. musculella (which feeds exclusively on D. suberbus).
The colour pink may be named after the flower. The origin of the flower name 'pink' is unknown; it has been suggested that it comes from the frilled edge of the flowers, which look as though they were cut with pinking shears, but actually, the shears were patented in 1893 and got their name from the flower.
Species
- Dianthus amurensis
- Dianthus anatolicus
- Dianthus arenarius
- Dianthus armeria - Deptford Pink
- Dianthus barbatus - Sweet William
- Dianthus biflorus
- Dianthus brevicaulis
- Dianthus callizonus
- Dianthus campestris
- Dianthus capitatus
- Dianthus carthusianorum - Carthusian Pink
- Dianthus caryophyllus - Carnation or Clove Pink
- Dianthus chinensis - China pink
- Dianthus cruentus
- Dianthus deltoides - Maiden Pink
- Dianthus erinaceus
- Dianthus freynii
- Dianthus fruticosus
- Dianthus furcatus
- Dianthus gallicus - French Pink or Jersey Pink
- Dianthus giganteus
- Dianthus glacialis
- Dianthus gracilis
- Dianthus graniticus
- Dianthus gratianopolitanus - Cheddar Pink
- Dianthus haematocalyx
- Dianthus knappii
- Dianthus lusitanus
- Dianthus microlepsis
- Dianthus monspessulanus
- Dianthus myrtinervius
- Dianthus nardiformis
- Dianthus nitidus
- Dianthus pavonius
- Dianthus petraeus
