DIANTHUS

'''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.

Contents

Species

Species

★ ''Dianthus alpinus'' - Alpine Pink


★ ''Dianthus amurensis'' - Amur Pink

★ ''Dianthus anatolicus''

★ ''Dianthus arenarius'' - Sand Pink

★ ''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'' - Fringed pink

★ ''Dianthus myrtinervius'' - Albanian Pink

★ ''Dianthus nardiformis''

★ ''Dianthus nitidus''

★ ''Dianthus pavonius''

★ ''Dianthus petraeus''


★ ''Dianthus pinifolius'' - Pineleaf Garden Pink

★ ''Dianthus plumarius'' - Cottage Pink, Grass Pink, Wild Pink

★ ''Dianthus pungens''

★ ''Dianthus repens'' - Boreal Carnation

★ ''Dianthus scardicus''

★ ''Dianthus seguieri''

★ ''Dianthus simulans''

★ ''Dianthus spiculifolius''

★ ''Dianthus squarrosus''

★ ''Dianthus subacaulis''

★ ''Dianthus superbus'' - Superb Pink

★ ''Dianthus sylvestris''

★ ''Dianthus zonatus''