Family |
Caryophyllaceae
Dianthus tripunctatus
Sm.
Dianthus tripunctatus Sm.
(First published in J.Sibthorp & J.E.Smith, Fl. Graec. Prodr. 1: 286 (1809); Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 1, Pl. CLXXXIV nº 1; 1966)
• Life-form & habit : Annual therophyte, 20–60 cm tall; plant glabrous, erect, with spreading branches.
• Leaves : Leaves somewhat rigid, long, soon withering, membranous at the margin and slightly ciliate at the base; leaves of the branches setaceous.
• Inflorescence & flowers : Flowers solitary at the tips of stems and branches; epicalyx scales 4, ovate, broadly scarious on the margins, long-aristate, equalling or almost equalling the calyx; calyx strongly verruculose, c. 15 mm long, cylindro-conical, attenuate toward the apex, entirely striate, with acute lanceolate teeth; petal blade obovate-cuneiform, pink, marked at the base by three darker lines.
• Fruit : Capsule enclosed within the persistent calyx, opening apically by teeth; seeds small, dry, dark, numerous.
• Phenology : Flowers from May to June.
• Habitat & elevation : Open ground and disturbed lowland habitats; described by Mouterde as unstable in Lebanon.
• Lebanese distribution : Recorded from Nahr el-Aouali, near Dékouané close to Beirut, and Sarada.
• Native range : Central & E. Medit.
• Diagnostic remarks : Differs from Dianthus strictus by its annual habit, long-aristate epicalyx scales almost equalling the calyx, strongly verruculose and entirely striate calyx, and pink petals marked at the base by three darker lines; D. strictus is perennial, very variable, with short-aristate epicalyx scales and petals lacking this characteristic three-lined basal marking.