# Dianthus > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dianthus > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dianthus.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianthus > Source revision: 1351257607 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}} {{For|the United States Navy ship|USS Dianthus (SP-639){{!}}USS ''Dianthus'' (SP-639)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}} {{Automatic taxobox |image = Dianthus caryophyllus L (Clove pink).JPG |image_caption = ''Dianthus caryophyllus'' flower |taxon = Dianthus |authority = [L.](/source/Carl_Linnaeus) |type_species = ''[Dianthus caryophyllus](/source/Dianthus_caryophyllus)'' }} '''''Dianthus''''' ({{IPAc-en|d|aɪ|ˈ|æ|n|θ|ə|s}} {{respell|dy|AN|thəs}}){{Cite Merriam-Webster|dianthus }} is a [genus](/source/genus) of about 340 species of [flowering plant](/source/flowering_plant)s in the family [Caryophyllaceae](/source/Caryophyllaceae), [native](/source/native_plant) mainly to Europe and Asia, with a few species in northern and southern Africa, and one species ([''D. repens''](/source/Dianthus_repens)) in arctic North America. Common names include '''carnation''' ([''D. caryophyllus''](/source/Dianthus_caryophyllus)), '''pink''' ([''D. plumarius''](/source/Dianthus_plumarius) and related species), and '''sweet william''' (''[D. barbatus](/source/Dianthus_barbatus)''). == Description == {{Unreferenced section|date=January 2026}} The species are mostly [herbaceous](/source/herbaceous_plant) [perennials](/source/perennials) (though a few are [annual](/source/annual_plant) or [biennial](/source/biennial_plant)) and some are low [subshrub](/source/subshrub)s with woody basal stems.{{Cite web |title=Dianthus L. {{!}} Plants of the World Online {{!}} Kew Science |url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:6245-1 |access-date=2026-04-26 |website=Plants of the World Online |language=en}} The [leaves](/source/leaves) are opposite, simple, mostly linear and often strongly [glaucous](/source/glaucous) grey green to blue green. The [flower](/source/flower)s have five petals, typically with a [frilled](/source/Serration) or [pinked](/source/Pinking_shears) margin, and are (in almost all species) pale to dark pink. One species, [''D.'' ''knappii''](/source/Dianthus_knappii), has yellow flowers with a purple centre. Some species, particularly the perennial pinks, are noted for their strong spicy fragrance. == Taxonomy == === Species === {{Main|List of Dianthus species|l1 = List of ''Dianthus'' species}} Selected species include: {{Clear}}{{Columns-list|colwidth=17em| *''[Dianthus acicularis](/source/Dianthus_acicularis)'' *''[Dianthus albens](/source/Dianthus_albens)'' – wild pink *''[Dianthus alpinus](/source/Dianthus_alpinus)'' – Alpine pink *''[Dianthus anatolicus](/source/Dianthus_anatolicus)'' *''[Dianthus arenarius](/source/Dianthus_arenarius)'' – sand pink *''[Dianthus armeria](/source/Dianthus_armeria)'' – Deptford pink *''[Dianthus balbisii](/source/Dianthus_balbisii)'' *''[Dianthus barbatus](/source/Dianthus_barbatus)'' – sweet william *''[Dianthus basuticus](/source/Dianthus_basuticus)'' – Lesotho pink *''[Dianthus biflorus](/source/Dianthus_biflorus)'' *''[Dianthus bolusii](/source/Dianthus_bolusii)'' – mountain pink *''[Dianthus brevicaulis](/source/Dianthus_brevicaulis)'' *''[Dianthus broteri](/source/Dianthus_broteri)'' *''[Dianthus burgasensis](/source/Dianthus_burgasensis)'' *''[Dianthus caespitosus](/source/Dianthus_caespitosus)'' – Karoo pink *''[Dianthus callizonus](/source/Dianthus_callizonus)'' *''[Dianthus campestris](/source/Dianthus_campestris)'' *''[Dianthus capitatus](/source/Dianthus_capitatus)'' *''[Dianthus carthusianorum](/source/Dianthus_carthusianorum)'' – Carthusian pink *''[Dianthus caryophyllus](/source/Dianthus_caryophyllus)'' – carnation or clove pink *''[Dianthus chinensis](/source/Dianthus_chinensis)'' – China pink (syn. Dianthus amurensis) *''[Dianthus crenatus](/source/Dianthus_crenatus)'' *''[Dianthus cruentus](/source/Dianthus_cruentus)'' – blood pink *''[Dianthus cyprius](/source/Dianthus_cyprius)'' – North Cyprus pink *''[Dianthus deltoides](/source/Dianthus_deltoides)'' – maiden pink *''[Dianthus erinaceus](/source/Dianthus_erinaceus)'' *''[Dianthus fragrans](/source/Dianthus_fragrans)'' *''[Dianthus freynii](/source/Dianthus_freynii)'' *''[Dianthus fruticosus](/source/Dianthus_fruticosus)'' *''[Dianthus furcatus](/source/Dianthus_furcatus)'' *''[Dianthus giganteus](/source/Dianthus_giganteus)'' – giant pink *''[Dianthus glacialis](/source/Dianthus_glacialis)'' *''[Dianthus gracilis](/source/Dianthus_gracilis)'' *''[Dianthus graniticus](/source/Dianthus_graniticus)'' *''[Dianthus gratianopolitanus](/source/Dianthus_gratianopolitanus)'' – Cheddar pink *''[Dianthus haematocalyx](/source/Dianthus_haematocalyx)'' *''[Dianthus hyssopifolius](/source/Dianthus_hyssopifolius)'' subsp. ''gallicus'' – French pink or Jersey pink *''[Dianthus japonicus](/source/Dianthus_japonicus)'' – seashore pink *''[Dianthus japigicus](/source/Dianthus_japigicus)'' *''[Dianthus kladovanus](/source/Dianthus_kladovanus)'' *''[Dianthus knappii](/source/Dianthus_knappii)'' *''[Dianthus libanotis](/source/Dianthus_libanotis)'' – Lebanon pink *''[Dianthus lusitanus](/source/Dianthus_lusitanus)'' *''[Dianthus microlepis](/source/Dianthus_microlepis)'' *''[Dianthus micropetalus](/source/Dianthus_micropetalus)'' – grassveld pink *''[Dianthus moesiacus](/source/Dianthus_moesiacus)'' *''[Dianthus monspessulanus](/source/Dianthus_monspessulanus)'' – fringed pink *''[Dianthus mooiensis](/source/Dianthus_mooiensis)'' - frilly carnation *''[Dianthus myrtinervius](/source/Dianthus_myrtinervius)'' – Albanian pink *''[Dianthus nardiformis](/source/Dianthus_nardiformis)'' *''[Dianthus nitidus](/source/Dianthus_nitidus)'' *''[Dianthus orientalis](/source/Dianthus_orientalis)'' *''[Dianthus pavonius](/source/Dianthus_pavonius)'' *''[Dianthus pendulus](/source/Dianthus_pendulus)'' *''[Dianthus petraeus](/source/Dianthus_petraeus)'' *''[Dianthus pinifolius](/source/Dianthus_pinifolius)'' *''[Dianthus plumarius](/source/Dianthus_plumarius)'' – garden pink, wild pink *''[Dianthus pungens](/source/Dianthus_pungens)'' *''[Dianthus repens](/source/Dianthus_repens)'' – boreal carnation *''[Dianthus scardicus](/source/Dianthus_scardicus)'' *''[Dianthus seguieri](/source/Dianthus_seguieri)'' – Sequier's pink *''[Dianthus serotinus](/source/Dianthus_serotinus)'' – late pink *''[Dianthus simulans](/source/Dianthus_simulans)'' *''[Dianthus spiculifolius](/source/Dianthus_spiculifolius)'' *''[Dianthus squarrosus](/source/Dianthus_squarrosus)'' *''[Dianthus strictus](/source/Dianthus_strictus)'' *''[Dianthus subacaulis](/source/Dianthus_subacaulis)'' *''[Dianthus superbus](/source/Dianthus_superbus)'' – large pink, nadeshiko *''[Dianthus sylvestris](/source/Dianthus_sylvestris)'' – wood pink *''[Dianthus tenuifolius](/source/Dianthus_tenuifolius)'' *''[Dianthus thunbergii](/source/Dianthus_thunbergii)'' – Thunberg's wild pink *''[Dianthus urumoffii](/source/Dianthus_urumoffii)'' *''[Dianthus zonatus](/source/Dianthus_zonatus)'' }} Hybrids include; * 'Devon Xera' – Fire Star Dianthus{{cite web |url=http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=d791 |title=''Dianthus'' 'Devon Xera' Fire Star – Plant Finder }} * 'John Prichard' === Etymology === The name ''Dianthus'' is from the [Greek](/source/Ancient_Greek) διόσανθος, a compound from the words Δῖος ''Dios'' ("of Zeus") and ἄνθος ''anthos'' ("flower"), and was cited by the Greek botanist [Theophrastus](/source/Theophrastus).Gledhill D. 1996. ''The Names of Plants''. Cambridge University Press, VI.1.1, 6.2, 6.11 and 8.3. {{ISBN|0521366755 }} The colour [pink](/source/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 demonstrated by the name of "[pinking shears](/source/pinking_shears)", special scissors for cloth that create a zigzag or decorative edge that discourages fraying. Alternatively, "pink" may be derived from the Dutch "pinksteren" alluding to the season of flowering ("pinksteren" meaning "[Pentecost](/source/Pentecost)" in Dutch). Thus, the colour may be named after the flower, rather than the flower after the colour. == Ecology == ''Dianthus'' species are used as food plants by the [larva](/source/larva)e of some [Lepidoptera](/source/Lepidoptera) species including [cabbage moth](/source/cabbage_moth), [double-striped pug](/source/double-striped_pug), [large yellow underwing](/source/large_yellow_underwing), and [the lychnis](/source/lychnis_(moth)). Also three species of ''[Coleophora](/source/Coleophora)'' case-bearers feed exclusively on ''Dianthus''; ''C.'' ''dianthi'', ''C.'' ''dianthivora'', and ''C.'' ''musculella'' (which feeds exclusively on ''D.'' ''superbus''). == Cultivation == Since 1717, dianthus species have been extensively bred and [hybridised](/source/Hybrid_(biology)) to produce many thousands of [cultivar](/source/cultivar)s for garden use and [floristry](/source/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:{{cite book |title=RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants |year=2008 |publisher=Dorling Kindersley |location=United Kingdom |isbn=978-1-4053-3296-5 |pages=1136 }}{{cite book |author=Leslie, A.C. |year=2012 |title=The International Dianthus Register (1983) & Checklist: Twenty-ninth Supplement |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/Plant-register-supplements/Dianthus/dianthusregister29 }} * Border carnations – fully hardy, growing to {{convert|60|cm|0|abbr=on}}, large blooms * Perpetual flowering carnations – grown under glass, flowering throughout the year, often used for exhibition purposes, growing to {{convert|150|cm|0|abbr=on}} * Malmaison carnations – derived from the variety 'Souvenir de la Malmaison', growing to {{convert|70|cm|0|abbr=on}}, 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 {{convert|45|cm|0|abbr=on}} * Modern pinks – newer varieties, growing to {{convert|45|cm|0|abbr=on}}, often blooming two or three times per year * Alpine pinks – mat-forming perennials, suitable for the rockery or [alpine garden](/source/alpine_garden), growing to {{convert|10|cm|0|abbr=on}} [Over 100 varieties](/source/List_of_Award_of_Garden_Merit_dianthus) have gained the [Royal Horticultural Society](/source/Royal_Horticultural_Society)'s [Award of Garden Merit](/source/Award_of_Garden_Merit).{{cite web |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf |title=AGM Plants - Ornamental |date=November 2018 |page=30 |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society |website=www.rhs.org |access-date=26 May 2020 }} == In culture == In the [language of flowers](/source/language_of_flowers), pink ''Dianthus'' symbolize boldness.{{Cite web |url=http://www.languageofflowers.com/flowermeaning.htm |title=Language of Flowers – Flower Meanings, Flower Sentiments |website=www.languageofflowers.com |access-date=26 November 2016 }} ''[Dianthus gratianopolitanus](/source/Dianthus_gratianopolitanus)'' – the Cheddar pink – was chosen as the [county flower](/source/County_flowers_of_the_United_Kingdom) of [Somerset](/source/Somerset) in 2002 following a poll by the wild flora conservation charity [Plantlife](/source/Plantlife).Plantlife website [http://www.plantlife.org.uk/wild_plants/county_flowers/ ''County Flowers page''.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150430170312/http://www.plantlife.org.uk/wild_plants/county_flowers/ |date=30 April 2015 }} ''[Dianthus japonicus](/source/Dianthus_japonicus)'' is the official flower of [Hiratsuka](/source/Hiratsuka), Kanagawa, Japan. In Japan, ''[Dianthus superbus](/source/Dianthus_superbus)'' – the fringed pink or nadeshiko – is used in the term [Yamato nadeshiko](/source/Yamato_nadeshiko) to describe the archetype of a traditional ideal woman. == Gallery == File:Dianthus alpinus Alpennelke Rax.jpg|''[Dianthus alpinus](/source/Dianthus_alpinus)'' File:Spring Flowers.JPG|''[Dianthus barbatus](/source/Dianthus_barbatus)'' File:Dianthus carthusianorum 160505.jpg|''[Dianthus carthusianorum](/source/Dianthus_carthusianorum)'' File:Starr 070730-7932 Dianthus caryophyllus.jpg|''[Dianthus caryophyllus](/source/Dianthus_caryophyllus)'' File:Dianthus caryophyllus0.jpg|''[Dianthus caryophyllus](/source/Dianthus_caryophyllus)'' seed heads File:Dianthus chinensis × barbatus.jpg|[Hybrid](/source/Hybrid_(biology)) ''Dianthus chinensis × barbatus'' File:Dianthus monspessulanus.jpg|''[Dianthus monspessulanus](/source/Dianthus_monspessulanus)'' File:Dianthus monspessulanus 6.JPG|Carnation ''[Dianthus monspessulanus](/source/Dianthus_monspessulanus)'' File:Dianthus shinanensis Shinanonadeshiko in eboshidake 1997-8-14.jpg|''[Dianthus shinanensis](/source/Dianthus_shinanensis)'' == See also == * [List of Award of Garden Merit dianthus](/source/List_of_Award_of_Garden_Merit_dianthus) == References == {{Reflist}} == External links == {{Wiktionary |Dianthus |''Dianthus''}} * [http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/search?q=Dianthus The Plant List] {{Taxonbar|from=Q156099}} {{Authority control}} Category:Dianthus Category:Caryophyllaceae genera Category:Saponaceous plants Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dianthus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianthus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianthus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.