Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Dianthus (Caryophyllaceae) in Tunisia (North Africa)
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
3.1. Taxa Occurring in Tunisia
3.2. Taxa Reported in Literature for Tunisia but Not Occurring in the Wild in This Country
1. | Epicalyx without scales | D. nudiflorus |
1. | Epicalyx with 2–8 scales | 2 |
2. | Epicalyx glandular, with five angles, 5–10 mm long | D. illyricus subsp. angustifolius |
2. | Epicalyx glabrous, cylindrical, more than 15 mm long | 3 |
3. | Perennial sub-shrub plant with woody branches; epicalyx with 10–16 scales | D. rupicola subsp. hermaeensis |
3. | Annual or perennial plant woody only at the base; epicalyx with 2–8 scales | 4 |
4. | Petals with fringed or lacerated blade for at least 1/3 of their length | 5 |
4. | Petals with entire, crenulated or toothed blade | 6 |
5. | Epicalyx scales terminating gradually into a narrow point (acuminate); petals with limb 7–8 mm long, ciliated up to half its length | D. serrulatus |
5. | Epicalyx scales abruptly terminated by a short point (mucronate); petals with limb 10–12 mm long, ciliated for more than half its length | D. crinitus |
6. | Epicalyx scales terminating gradually into a narrow point (acuminate) | D. cintranus subsp. byzacenus |
6. | Epicalyx scales abruptly terminated by a short point (mucronate) | 7 (D. virgineus) |
7. | Epicalyx scales terminating gradually into a narrow point (acuminate) | D. virgineus var. kremeri |
7. | Epicalyx scales abruptly terminated by a short point (mucronate) | 8 |
8. | Plant 10–25 (40) cm tall; leaves 1.0–4.5 cm long; stems 1–2-flowered | D. virgineus var. virgineus |
8. | Plant 40–70 cm tall; leaves 4–12 cm long; stems 2–5 (6)-flowered | D. virgineus var. graminifolius |
4. Discussion and Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Taxon | Synonyms | Distribution | Habitats |
---|---|---|---|
* Dianthus cintranus subsp. byzacenus (Burollet) Greuter & Burdet | D. byzacenus Burollet; D. gaditanus subsp. byzacenus (Burollet) Maire; D. campestris sensu Barratte in Bonnet & Barratte non M.Bieb. | TC, DT, TS | Rocky soils, fields and roadsides in coastal and hilly areas |
Dianthus crinitus Sm. | D. amoenus Pomel; D. crinitus var. amoenus (Pomel) Maire; D. mesanidum Litard. & Maire; D. serratulus subsp. macranthus var. mesanidum (Litard. & Maire) Maire; D. crinitus var. flaviflorus Emb.; D. crinitus var. australis Maire | TC, DT, TS | Sandy soils, fields and roadsides in coastal and hilly areas |
Dianthus illyricus subsp. angustifolius (Poir.) Fassou, N. Korotkova, Dimop. & Borsch | Silene angustifolia Poir.; Petrorhagia illyrica subsp. angustifolia (Poir.) P.W.Ball & Heywood | K, NE, VM, CB, TC, DT, TS | Rocky soils in coastal and hilly areas. |
Dianthus nudiflorus Griff. | Velezia rigida L. | DT | Rocky soils in hilly areas |
* Dianthus rupicola subsp. hermaeensis (Coss.) O. Bolòs & Vigo | D. hermaeensis Coss.; D. rupicola var. hermaeensis (Coss.) F.N. Williams | CB | Carbonate cliffs of the coastal belt. |
Dianthus serrulatus Desf. | D. serrulatus subsp. macranthus Maire; D. serrulatus var. subsimplex F.N. Williams ex Maire; D. serrulatus var. strictus Maire; D. serrulatus subsp. eu-serrulatus Maire; D. serrulatus subsp. eu-serrulatus var. genuinus Maire | NE, DT, TS | Rocky soils, fields and roadsides in coastal, hilly and mountain belts. |
Dianthus virgineus L. var. virgineus | D. siculus C. Presl in J. & C. Presl; D. sylvestris subsp. siculus (C. Presl) Tutin; D. caryophyllus subsp. siculus (C. Presl) Arcang.; D. caryophyllus subsp. virgineus (L.) Rouy & Fouc. var. godronianus (Jord.) Briq.; D. sylvestris var. godronianus (Jord.) Kerguélen; D. caryophyllus subsp. godronianus (Jord.) P. Martin; D. sylvestris var. godronianus (Jord.) Kerguélen | NE, TC, DT | Cliffs and rocky fields on carbonate and siliceous substrate from the sea level to the mountain belt |
Dianthus virgineus var. graminifolius (C.Presl) Domina & El Mokni | D. graminifolius C.Presl; D. arrostoi var. graminifolius (C.Presl) Lojac.; D. gasparrinii Guss.; D. caryophyllus subsp. gasparrinii (Guss.) Arcang.; D. boissieri Willk.; D. sylvestris subsp. boissieri (Willk.) Dobignard | K, NE, VM, CB, DT, TC, TS | Cliffs and rocky fields on carbonate and siliceous substrate from the sea level to the mountain belt |
Dianthus virgineus var. kremeri (Boiss. & Reut.) Domina & El Mokni | D. kremeri Boiss. & Reut. | NE | Cliffs and rocky fields on carbonate and siliceous substrate at the sea level |
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Domina, G.; El Mokni, R.; Cirlincione, F.; Barone, G. Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Dianthus (Caryophyllaceae) in Tunisia (North Africa). Plants 2025, 14, 2720. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14172720
Domina G, El Mokni R, Cirlincione F, Barone G. Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Dianthus (Caryophyllaceae) in Tunisia (North Africa). Plants. 2025; 14(17):2720. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14172720
Chicago/Turabian StyleDomina, Gianniantonio, Ridha El Mokni, Fortunato Cirlincione, and Giulio Barone. 2025. "Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Dianthus (Caryophyllaceae) in Tunisia (North Africa)" Plants 14, no. 17: 2720. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14172720
APA StyleDomina, G., El Mokni, R., Cirlincione, F., & Barone, G. (2025). Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Dianthus (Caryophyllaceae) in Tunisia (North Africa). Plants, 14(17), 2720. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14172720