Dianthus caespitosus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Genus: Dianthus
Species:
D. caespitosus
Binomial name
Dianthus caespitosus

Dianthus caespitosus, called the Karoo pink or koperangelier, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae.

It is indigenous to the south-western Cape of South Africa, where it occurs on dry rocky slopes from Worcester in the west, northwards to Botterkloof near Clanwilliam, south to Genadendal and Riversdale, and eastwards to Uitenhage.[1]

Description

The distinctive elongated calyx of Dianthus caespitosus has 3-4 pairs of bracts at its base.

Dianthus caespitosus is a spreading or tufted herbaceous perennial reaching 40 cm high, with linear (60mm x 5mm) blue-grey leaves along the stems (leaves usually deciduous or absent below crowns).

The inflorescence is simple (sometimes sparsely branched). It rises c. 20 cm above the main leaf tufts, with smaller (5-15mm) leaf-pairs dispersed along it.

The flowers are pale-yellow to cream coloured, c. 25 mm wide, and appear in Spring-Summer (Sept-Jan.). The petals (c. 15x20mm) are always somewhat toothed or fringed (finely dentate to crenulate).

The calyx is elongated, 40-70 mm in length, with 3-4 bract-pairs. The calyx bracts are elongated acuminate, with sharp points, and only sometimes with faint, narrow papery margins.[2][3]

Subspecies

In addition to the typical subspecies, D. caespitosus subsp. pectinatus is sometimes recognised for plants in the central Overberg and Swellendam areas. They are recorded from Cogmans kloof in the north, to Genadendal, Greyton and Riviersonderend in the west, to the Garcia pass and the Gouritz river valley in the east.

This subspecies has petals that are purple-to-white, with longer teeth (dentate or shortly fimbriate). It has a slightly shorter calyx (c. 35 mm).[4]

References

  1. ↑ Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 2000. Cape Plants: A conspectus of the Cape Flora of South Africa. Strelitzia 9. National Botanical Institute, Cape Town. p.460
  2. ↑ Burtt Davy, J. 1922. XXXIII. A Revision of the South African Species of Dianthus. Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information 7. pp. 209-223. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  3. ↑ Vlok, J. and Schutte-Vlok, A.L. 2010. Plants of the Klein Karoo. Umdaus Press, Hatfield.
  4. ↑ Hooper, S.S. 1959. The genus Dianthus in central and South Africa. Hooker's Icones Plantarum 37 / 7(1). pp.1-59. Bentham-Moxon Trust, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.


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