Flora-Fauna

Dianthus marinae Maalouf & M. Keskin

(Journal of Botany Research 9(1): 204–209; 2026. 

• Life-form & habit: Perennial, densely caespitose herb forming compact tufts. Stems 45–50 cm tall, erect, ± straight, rarely slightly curved in fruiting stage, unbranched, glabrous, green, and 8–10-noded.

• Leaves: Basal and cauline. Sterile shoot leaves at the base linear, 35–40 × 1.8–2.0 mm, spreading, thickened, pale to dark green, canaliculate in cross-section, with scabrid margins, sometimes glabrous toward the acuminate or acute apex. Cauline leaves shorter than the internodes, withering after anthesis; middle stem leaves c. 10 × 1 mm, narrowly linear, appressed, canaliculate, glabrous, with an acuminate apex and scabrid margins. In the dry state, veins are not clearly visible but may appear as three faint parallel lines.

• Inflorescence & flowers: Inflorescence usually 1-flowered, sometimes 2-flowered; flowers axillary or terminal. Bracteoles 6, unequal, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 8–10 × 3.5–4.0 mm, papery, acuminate, stramineous to greenish with faint reddish tinges at the tips, appressed, with a narrow membranous-fimbriate margin; inner bracteoles cuspidate, outer ones aristate to subaristate. Calyx cylindrical, 17–18 mm long, glabrous to faintly puberulent, with c. 25 inconspicuous veins; teeth 5, c. 1 mm long, triangular, acute, slightly spreading, shortly ciliate. Petals 5, white, pale lilac or pinkish-purple, with the narrow claw included in the calyx tube; lamina 8–10 mm long, glabrous, deeply fimbriate-laciniate to ½, with crisped and narrowly linear segments. Stamens 10, included; filaments slender; anthers purple. Styles 2; stigmas capitate.

• Fruit: Mature capsule and seeds were not observed in the protologue. The authors infer that fruiting probably begins in August–September.

• Phenology: Flowering observed from mid- to late June; fruiting probably in August–September.

• Habitat & elevation: Rocky high-mountain slopes of the Mount Lebanon range, from c. 1570 to 2500 m a.s.l. The species occurs in the transition between supramediterranean and montane vegetation at Yammoune, and in montane to oro-Mediterranean conditions on the eastern slopes of Mount Sannine. Associated species include Astragalus gummifer, Ajuga chamaepitys subsp. tridactylites, Pimpinella tragium subsp. lithophila, Lotus gebelia subsp. libanoticus, Juniperus excelsa, Crataegus azarolus, Hypericum libanoticum, Phlomis brevilabris, Acantholimon antilibanoticum, Astragalus cruentiflorus, Centaurea mouterdei, and Dianthus pachygonus.

• Lebanese distribution: Endemic to Lebanon and currently known from two disjunct populations in the Mount Lebanon range: Yammoune,  c. 1570 m; and the eastern slopes of Mount Sannine, documented between 1700 and 2500 m.

• Native range: Lebanon. Endemic to the high mountains of the Mount Lebanon range.