Dianthus versicolor Fischer ex Link subsp. turkestanicus (Preobraschensky) Kozhevnikov.

Herbs perennial, 20--40 cm tall. Rhizome woody. Stems caespitose, branched, scabridulous. Leaves linear, 3--5 cm × 1--2 mm, base connate into a 2--4 mm sheath, apex sharply pointed; basal leaves early withered; apical leaves usually subulate. Flowers solitary, sometimes 2 or 3, terminal; bracts 4 or 6, obovate, ca. 8 × 6 mm, leathery, apex subulate with a short, sharp tip. Calyx cylindric, 1.5--1.8 cm × ca. 4 mm, striate, glabrous or pubescent; teeth ciliate at margin, apex acute. Petal limb rose or purple, ca. 1 cm × 5 mm, adaxially shortly hairy, apex shallowly dentate. Ovary suboblong. Capsule cylindric, subequaling calyx, apex 4-valved. Seeds black, compressed globose, ca. 2 mm in diam. Fl. Jul--Aug, fr. Sep.

Mountain slope grasslands; 1000--2000 m. N Xinjiang [Kazakhstan].