Dianthus barbatus L. Dianthus barbatus L., Sp. Pl. ed. 1 (1753) 401; Hayek, Prodr. Fl. Penins. Balc. I (1924) 227; Стоян. Ахт., Сборн. БАН XXIX (1935) 38 — Брадат карамфил Fam: Caryophyllaceae Juss.
Genus: Dianthus L.
Species: Dianthus barbatus L.
English Name: Sweet William
Description:Perennial plant, 60 cm high, almost naked. Leaves lanceolate, 10 - 15 mm wide, sometimes at the base narrowed into a short stalk; lower the top blunt, sharp or prolonged above pointed, with mesh veins; midrib strongly convex side unclear. Blossms with short handles, collected in large, multicolored head. Bracts herbaceous, almost as long as the blossoms. A pan with flakes oval, ending with little awns. Lamina of petals purple, with a group of smaller hairs on the upper surface. volatility
subsp. barbatus. Wholesale plant, 60 cm high. Inflorescence multiblossom head. Western Stara Planina (Balkan), Vitosha region, Rila mountain.
subsp. compactus (Kit.) Heuff., Verh. Zool. Bot. Gesell. Wien VIII (1858) 68; Dianthus compactus Kit. in Schult., Őestreichs Fl..ed. 2, I (1814) 654; Hayek, 1. c .; D. barbatus var. compactus (Kit.) Stoj. et Acht., 1. c. Whole plant lower and densely branched. Inflorescence tightly compressed. Rila mountain.Economic significance. Popular ornamental plant, widespread in culture almost throughout Europe and beyond. D. barbatus x D. superbus var. speciosus Reichenb .; D. fritschii Keller, Ősterr. Bot. Zeitschr. XLVI (1896) 391.
Stem usually unbranched. Petals pale pink, the top cut to 1/3. Calyx as in D. superbus. Vitosha region.From: „Флора на НР България”, том III, БАН, София, (1067) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Sweet william" redirects here. For the folk song sometimes known by that name, see Lord William.
Dianthus barbatus (Sweet William) [1] is a species of Dianthus native to southern Europe and parts of Asia which has become a popular ornamental garden plant. It is a herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial plant growing to 30–75 cm tall, with flowers in a dense cluster of up to 30 at the top of the stems. Each flower is 2–3 cm diameter with five petals displaying serrated edges. Wild plants produce red flowers with a white base, but colours in cultivars range from white, pink, red, and purple to variegated patterns. The exact origin of its English common name is unknown but first appears in 1596 in botanist John Gerard's garden catalog. The flowers are edible and may have medicinal properties.[citation needed] Sweet William attracts bees, birds, and butterflies.
Sweet William is a herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial plant native to the mountains of southern Europe from the Pyrenees east to the Carpathians and the Balkans, with a variety disjunct in northeastern China, Korea, and southeasternmost Russia.[2][3][4] It grows to 30–75 cm tall, with green to glaucous blue-green tapered leaves 4–10 cm long and 1–2 cm broad. The flowers are produced in a dense cluster of up to 30 at the top of the stems and have a spicy, clove-like scent; each flower is 2–3 cm diameter with five petals with serrated edges; in wild plants the petals are red with a white base.[4][5][6]
There are two varieties:[4]
Dianthus barbatus var. barbatus. Southern Europe. Leaves broader, up to 2 cm broad.
Dianthus barbatus var. asiaticus Nakai. Northeastern Asia. Leaves slenderer, not over 1 cm broad.
English name
Many legends purport to explain how Sweet William acquired its English common name, but none is verified. "Sweet William" is often said to honour the 18th century Prince William, Duke of Cumberland. As a result of the Duke's victory at the Battle of Culloden and his generally brutal treatment of the king's enemies, it is also claimed that the Scots sometimes call the flower "Stinking Billy".[7][8][9] Though this makes a nice story, it is entirely untrue. The Scots sometimes refer to the noxious ragwort,[which?] as "Stinking Billy" in memory of the infamous Duke. The English botanist John Gerard referred to Dianthus barbatus as "Sweete Williams" in his garden catalogue of 1596, 150 years before Culloden.[10] Phillips speculated that the flower was named after Gerard's contemporary, William Shakespeare.[11] It is also said to be named after Saint William of York or after William the Conqueror. Another etymological derivation is that william is a corruption of the French oillet, meaning "little eye". Sweet William is a favourite name for lovelorn young men in English folkloric ballads, e.g., "Fair Margaret and Sweet William."
Flowering Time: Blooms: VI - VIII
References: „Флора на НР България”, том III, БАН, София, (1067)
Distribution in Bulgaria: In thickets, meadows and forests, Western Stara Planina (Balkan), Vitosha region, Rila mountain, from 700 to 2000 m altitude (Conspectus of the Bulgarian Vascular Flora) = conspectus&gs_l= Zlc.
Distribution: Southern Europe (Pyrenees, Apennines, Alps, Carpathians, Balkans), the Caucasus, Siberia.
Conservation status and threats: not protected species in Bulgaria by theBiodiversity Law. Законодателство на Република България: Закон за биологичното разнообразие
Medical plant: it is not medical plant - http://lex.bg/laws/ldoc/2134916096
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