Dianthus

Dianthus
	Dianthus caryophyllus flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Caryophyllaceae
Genus:	Dianthus; L.
Type species
	Dianthus caryophyllus

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).

Description

The species are mostly herbaceous perennials, 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 or pinked margin, and are (in almost all species) pale to dark pink. One species, D. knappii, has yellow flowers with a purple centre. Some species, particularly the perennial pinks, are noted for their strong spicy fragrance.

Taxonomy

Subdivision

Selected species;

Dianthus alpinus - Alpine Pink
Dianthus armeria - Deptford Pink
Dianthus balbisii
Dianthus barbatus - Sweet William
Dianthus carthusianorum - Carthusian Pink
Dianthus caryophyllus - Carnation or Clove Pink
Dianthus chinensis - China Pink
Dianthus cyprius - North Cyprus Pink
Dianthus deltoides - Maiden Pink
Dianthus gratianopolitanus - Cheddar Pink
Dianthus japonicus
Dianthus monspessulanus - Fringed pink
Dianthus nardiformis
Dianthus pavonius
Dianthus repens - Boreal Carnation
Dianthus seguieri - Sequier's Pink
Dianthus superbus - Large Pink

Hybrids include;

'Devon Xera' - Fire Star Dianthus^[1]
'John Prichard'

Etymology

The name Dianthus is from the Greek words Διός Dios ("of Zeus") and ἀνθός anthos ("flower"), and was cited by the Greek botanist Theophrastus. The color pink may be named after the flower, coming from the frilled edge of the flowers: the verb "to pink" dates from the 14th century and means "to decorate with a perforated or punched pattern". As is also demonstrated by the name of "pinking shears", special scissors for cloth that create a zigzag or decorative edge that discourages fraying.

Ecology

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).

Cultivation

Dianthus species have been extensively bred and hybridised to produce many thousands of cultivars for garden use and floristry, in all shades of white, pink, yellow and red, with a huge variety of flower shapes and markings. They are often divided into the following main groups:-^[2]^[3]

Border carnations - fully hardy, growing to 60 cm (24 in), large blooms
Perpetual flowering carnations - grown under glass, flowering throughout the year, often used for exhibition purposes, growing to 150 cm (59 in)
Malmaison carnations - derived from the variety 'Souvenir de la Malmaison', growing to 70 cm (28 in), grown for their intense "clove" fragrance
Old-fashioned pinks - older varieties; evergreen perennials forming mounds of blue-green foliage with masses of flowers in summer, growing to 45 cm (18 in)
Modern pinks - newer varieties, growing to 45 cm (18 in), often blooming two or three times per year
Alpine pinks - mat-forming perennials, suitable for the rockery or alpine garden, growing to 10 cm (4 in)

Over 100 varieties have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.^[4]

Culture

Dianthus gratianopolitanus - the Cheddar Pink - was chosen as the County flower of Somerset in 2002 following a poll by the wild flora conservation charity Plantlife.^[5] "Dianthus Japonicus" is the official flower of Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Japan.