Dianthus armeria L. (syn. Dianthus armeriastrum f. glandulosus Hay)

Taxonomy: Fam. Caryophyllaceae// Genus: Dianthus// Species: Dianthus armeria L.

Literature used for determination: Micevski (1993), Tutin et al. (1964) and Hayek (1924).

Variability: The plants from Osogovo correspond to Dianthus armeria subsp. armeriastrum (Wolf.) Velen. (=D. armeriastrum Wolfner). This taxon differs from the typical form in having larger flowers, with petal claw up to 10 mm long, and ovate scales abruptly constricted into a long awn. The Osogovo population has hairy calyx and glandular stems and leaves. Morphologically, it corresponds to Dianthus armeriastrum f. glandulosus Hay. The length of the scales in proportion to the calyx seems to be a variable characteristic, varying from equaling the calyx as typically described to somewhat shorter – c. 2/3 of the calyx length. Variation of this trait can be seen among flowers even in the same plant, with the earlier developed flowers showing the typical length and progressively getting shorter in later flowers. Specimens with these characteristics can fit in the historically described Dianthus pseudocorymbosus Velen. (Velenovský, 1911). Both D. armeria subsp. armeriastrum and Dianthus pseudocorymbosus are now regarded as synonyms of Dianthus armeria L. and no subspecies are accepted in The Euro+Med PlantBase (Marhold, 2011+).

Distribution: Native from Europe to West Asia (Iran) according to the distribution information provided by the Plants of the World Online portal (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew).

Habitat: Hill pastures, rocky terrains, clearings of forests.

Life form: In the Osogovo region the species mainly behaves as a biennial – the first year the plant forms basal rosette (vegetative stage) and flowering occurs in the second year. However, specimens with perennating habit sporadically occur.

Flowering period: Late spring – summer, occasionaly reblooming into fall (MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, -SEP- OCT).

Locality: Hills west of the gorge of the Kochanska River. Date: 07.11.2020. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

Locality: Hills west of the gorge of the Kochanska River. Date: 18.05.2024.

Locality: Hills west of the gorge of the Kochanska River. Date: 20.06.2021.

Locality: Hills west of the gorge of the Kochanska River. Date: 07.11.2020.

Locality: Mala River near Lake Gradche. Date: 06.07.2014.

References:

Dianthus armeria L. Plants of the World Online portal, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:310755-2 [Accessed 29.06.2021].

Dianthus armeria. Marhold, K. 2011+: Caryophyllaceae. – In: Euro+Med PlantBase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Published at https://europlusmed.org/. https://europlusmed.org/cdm_dataportal/taxon/ed87b7dd-a23d-49ef-9ce3-084e912f4b09 [Accessed 31.08.2026].

Hayek, A. 1924. Dianthus L. In: Prodromus Florae peninsulae Balcanicae. Vol. 1(2). Repertorium Specierum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis Beihefte, 30 (1): 224–254.

Micevski, K. 1993. Dianthus L., The Flora of the Republic of Macedonia. Vol. I, Book 2. Skopje: Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, pp 360–390.

Tutin, T. G. 1964. Dianthus L. In Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M., & Webb, D. A. (eds.), Flora Europaea. Volume 1. Lycopodiaceae to Platanaceae. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 188–204.

Velenovský, J. (1911). Letzte Nachträge zur Flora von Bulgarien. Sitzungsberichte der Königlichen Böhmischen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Classe 1910: 8. Retrived from https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/105900#page/126/mode/1up [Accessed 31.08.2026].

Last update: 31.08.2026.