Pure love, talent, boldness, feminine beauty - Dianthus chinensis

Dianthus chinensis, also known as: Xing'an dianthus, northern dianthus, drill-leaf dianthus, Mongolian dianthus, thread-leaf dianthus, alpine dianthus, Liaodong dianthus, long-calyx dianthus, long-bract dianthus, forest dianthus, three-vein dianthus, Latin name: Dianthus chinensis L. A perennial herb of the genus Dianthus in the family Caryophyllaceae, 30-50 cm tall, the whole plant hairless, with a powdery green tint. The stems emerge from the root crown, loosely clumped, upright, branching in the upper part. The leaves are linear-lanceolate, tapering to a point at the tip, slightly narrowed at the base, with entire margins or fine small teeth, and the midvein is fairly prominent. The flowers are borne singly at the ends of the branches or several together in a cyme; purplish red, pink, bright red or white, with the top edge irregularly toothed and split, markings at the throat, and sparsely bearded; the stamens protrude beyond the throat, and the anthers are blue; the ovary is oblong, and the style is linear. The capsule is cylindrical, enclosed within the persistent calyx, and the seeds are black and flat-round. The flowering period is May-June, and the fruiting period is July-September.

Dianthus chinensis

Medicinal value:

The roots and the whole plant are used as medicine, to clear heat and promote urination, break blood and unblock menstruation, and dissipate stasis and reduce swelling. Dianthus chinensis can be used medicinally as the whole plant or the root.

Ornamental value:

Dianthus chinensis is already widely cultivated. Many cultivars have been bred, and it is an excellent ornamental flower. The plant is low-growing, with stems like bamboo and lush green foliage; its natural flowering period is from May to September, blooming from late spring to mid-autumn, and as a potted plant in a greenhouse it can flower in all four seasons. The flowers are terminal on the branches, borne singly or in pairs, and sometimes in a paniculate cyme; the flower diameter is not large, only 2 to 3 cm, but the blooms are abundant, rising and falling one after another, and the ornamental period is fairly long. The flower colors include white, pink, red, rose pink, scarlet, purple, light purple, yellow, blue and so on, colorful and endlessly varied.

In gardens it can be used for flower beds, flower borders, flower terraces or potted culture, and can also be used for rock gardens and as a edging accent along lawns. When planted in large areas in mass, it can serve as a landscape ground-cover material; in addition, Dianthus chinensis has the ability to absorb sulfur dioxide and chlorine gas, so it can be planted in abundance wherever there are toxic gases. It is also excellent for viewing as a cut flower.

Dianthus chinensis

Poetry:

In the Tang Dynasty, Sikong Shu wrote in "Dianthus Flowers at Yunyang Temple": "Since we parted in the secluded mountains, we meet again in this temple. High and low, all put forth leaves; deep and light, no distinction among the clumps. Wild butterflies can hardly vie with its white; the courtyard pomegranate silently yields in red. Who pities that its fragrance lasts the longest, from spring dew to autumn wind." The author depicts the form of Dianthus chinensis with a leisurely mood, and uses butterflies and pomegranate to show the esteem in which Dianthus chinensis is held.

In the Song Dynasty, Wang Anshi admired the beauty of Dianthus chinensis and also pitied that it was not appreciated by people, and wrote "Two Poems on Dianthus Flowers," one of which reads: "Spring returns to the secluded valley before it forms clumps; on the ground it spreads its fragrance, a pale light red. Carriages and horses do not come; who will see and admire it? Pitiable, yet it also knows how to pass through the spring wind."

Dianthus chinensis