Dianthus strictus

Dianthus strictus, known as the wild pink, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae.

Description

Perennial, very variable. Leaves ciliate at base and scabrous at margin. Inflorescence loose, more or less branching. Scales of calyx pale, membranous, briefly aristate. Calyx conical-cylindrical, slightly tapered at apex, greenish-white, sometimes tinged with purple. Striations often limited to the apex of teeth and to some bands below sinuses. Petals pink, lamina fan-shaped, denticulate, marked with dots which gave the plant its name.

Flowering

The plant flowers any time from May–December.

Range

It is native to Greece's Aegean Islands (including Crete), Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestine region, the Sinai Peninsula, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.

Subspecies and varieties

Six subspecies and varieties are accepted.

• Dianthus strictus var. axilliflorus (synonyms D. axilliflorus , D. bitlisianus , D. multipunctatus var. axilliflorus ) – southeastern Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and northwestern Iran
• Dianthus strictus subsp. multipunctatus (synonyms D. lineolatus and D. multipunctatus ) – western Crete, East Aegean Islands, Lebanon and Syria, and Sinai Peninsula.
• Dianthus strictus subsp. strictus (synonyms D. halepensis , D. multipunctatus var. micranthus , D. multipunctatus var. subenervis , D. polycladus var. glomeratus , D. quadrilobus , D. striatellus , D. strictus var. micranthus , D. strictus var. subenervis , D. sulcatus ) Turkey, the Levant, Iraq, and Iran
• Dianthus strictus subsp. sublaevis – Saudi Arabia and Yemen
• Dianthus strictus subsp. troodi (synonyms D. multipunctatus var. troodi , D. strictus var. troodi ) – western Cyprus
• Dianthus strictus subsp. velutinus (synonyms D. multipunctatus var. velutinus , Dianthus strictus var. velutinus ) – Israel, Syria, and northern and northeastern Iraq

References

• Georges Tohme & Henriette Tohme, IIIustrated Flora of Lebanon, National Council For Scientific Research, Second Edition 2014.