Boreal Carnation

Dianthus repens var. scabripilosus Y. Z. Zhao (Acta Sci. Nat. Univ. Intramong. 20(1): 110. 1989) was described from Nei Mongol. It differs only in having pilose, scabrid stems.

Plants cespitose, matted. Stems erect, simple, 5-17(-25) cm, glabrous. Leaves: sheath 1-2 mm, 1-2 times as long as stem diam.; blade lance-linear to oblong or linear, 1-4.5 cm, green, margins glabrous. Inflorescences open, 2-4-flowered cymes, or usually flowers solitary; bracts absent; bracteoles 2 (or 4), green or reddish, lanceolate, ca. 1/ 3/ 4 times as long as calyx, herbaceous, apex acuminate. Pedicels 4-12 mm. Flowers: calyx (45-)50-60-veined, 10-14 mm, glabrous, lobes triangular, 2-4 mm; petals pink to pink-purple, bearded or not, 7-13 mm, apex dentate. Capsules 12-17 mm, exceeding calyx. Seeds 1.2-2 mm. 2n = 30, 60 (Asia).

Herbs perennial, to 30 cm tall, glabrous, rarely stems pilose and scabrid. Stems numerous, densely caespitose. Leaves pendent, linear-lanceolate, 3--5 cm × 2--3 mm, soft, midvein prominent, base attenuate, apex acuminate. Flowers 1 or 2, terminal, 2--2.5 cm in diam.; bracts 2(or 4), ovate, slightly shorter than or subequaling calyx, apex subulate. Calyx sometimes purplish, cylindric, 1.2--1.4 cm × ca. 4 mm; teeth lanceolate, margin membranous, ciliate, apex sharply pointed. Petal claw 1.4--1.5 cm; limb purple-red, obovate-cuneate, 1.2--1.3 cm × 8--9 mm, adaxially shortly hairy, base dark purple ringed, caespitose long pilose, apex toothed. Gynophore ca. 1 mm. Capsule not seen. Fl. Jul--Aug.

Yukon; Alaska; Asia (China, Russian Far East).

Flowering summer.

Rock outcrops, talus slopes; 10-1400m.

Meadows at forest margins, mountain slopes, river banks, steppes. Nei Mongol [Russia (Far East, Siberia); North America].

Dianthus chinensis Linnaeus subsp. repens (Willdenow) Voroschilov.

Dianthus repens, common name boreal carnation or northern pink or cu jing shi zhu (簇莖石竹 in Chinese), is a plant species native to the Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia) region of China, as well as to Siberia, the Russian Far East, northern parts of European Russia (Komi, Arkhangelsk, etc.), Alaska and Yukon Territory.

Dianthus repens is a perennial herb with many stems clumped together, sometimes erect but other times forming a mat pressed against the ground. Stems are hairless (except in some Chinese populations), up to 25 cm long. Leaves are linear or narrowly lanceolate, up to 5 cm long. Flowers are usually solitary but sometimes in clumps of 2-4, with pink to purple petals. It grows in rock outcrops and talus slopes.