头石竹 tou shi zhu

Herbs perennial, 30--60 cm tall, glabrous. Stems erect, angular. Leaves lanceolate, 4--8 × ca. 1 cm, midvein prominent, base attenuate into a sheath, apex acute. Flowers numerous, clustered into capitula; pedicel very short or obscure; bracts 4, ovate, equaling or slightly longer than calyx, margin membranous, denticulate, apex caudate. Calyx tubular, ca. 1.5 cm; teeth sharply pointed. Petals purple-red, spotted with white; claw long; limb ovate, throat bearded, apex toothed. Stamens slightly exserted. Ovary suboblong. Styles linear. Capsule ovoid-suboblong, ca. 1.8 cm, 4-valved for ca. 1/2 its length. Seeds brown, compressed ovoid, smooth. Fl. and fr. May--Oct.

Broad-leaved forests, forest margins. E and S Jilin [N Korea, Russia (Far East)].

Dianthus barbatus var. barbatus, which is restricted to Europe as a native plant, is cultivated for ornament in China. It differs from var. asiaticus in being stouter, with broader, thicker leaves, and larger, more numerous flowers.