Family |
Caryophyllaceae
Dianthus strictus subsp. multipunctatus
(Ser.) Mouterde ex Greuter & Burdet
Dianthus strictus Banks & Sol. subsp. multipunctatus (Ser.) Mouterde ex Greuter & Burdet
≡ Dianthus multipunctatus Ser. in DC.
= Dianthus polycladus Boiss. sensu Boissier
(First published in Willdenowia 12: 187; 1982. Treated in Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 1, p. 523; Pl. CLXXXIV nº 3; 1966, as D. multipunctatus)
• Life-form & habit: Variable perennial, 15–80 cm; root slender or thickened. Stems ascending or erect, glabrous except sometimes velvety-pubescent at the base.
• Leaves: Linear, short and ciliate at the base, margins slightly scabrous.
• Inflorescence & flowers: Solitary or fasciculate; bracts pale, membranous, shortly aristate.
• Calyx: Cylindro-conical, 7–20 mm, greenish-white to purplish, weakly verruculose; teeth ovate-lanceolate, acute.
• Petals: Limb 5–10 mm, pink to purplish, narrowly oblong to fan-shaped, briefly fimbriate, 2–3 denticulate or sometimes entire.
• Fruit: Capsule ovoid, opening by 4 teeth; seeds small, brown.
• Phenology: May–December; long flowering season.
• Habitat & elevation: Rocky slopes, plains, and montane sites.
• Lebanese distribution: Widespread from coast to high mountains (Antélias, Cedars, Jabal Sannine, etc.).
• Syrian distribution: Frequent in Anti-Lebanon (Jdeidet Yabous, Zebdani), Palmyra, and central steppe localities.
• Native range: East Aegean Islands, Crete (Kriti), Lebanon–Syria, Sinai. (POWO)
⚠️ Taxonomic note: Mouterde grouped D. multipunctatus Ser. and D. polycladus Boiss. within D. strictus, and Greuter & Burdet (1982) validated the current combination. Morphological variation includes forms with entire petals (polycladus) and denticulate ones (multipunctatus sensu stricto).