About Dianthus basuticus Burtt Davy
Dianthus basuticus Burtt Davy is a densely tufted perennial plant that grows 15 to 20 cm tall. It bears linear blue-grey leaves that measure 50 mm by 5 mm, and these leaves grow in a dense clump close to the ground. Its inflorescence is usually branched, and rises approximately 15 cm above the main leaf tufts. The flowers are most often dark pink, around 20 mm wide, and bloom from summer to autumn between November and April. The petals are broad and obovate, a shape that differs from most other South African Dianthus species, which have narrower, oblanceolate petals. The petal tips are only minutely toothed or serrated, and the petals are sometimes slightly recurved. The calyx is 15 to 20 mm long, and has 2 to 3 pairs of bracts; these bracts are 15 to 20 mm long. This species is a near-endemic of the Drakensberg Alpine Centre, and grows predominantly on rocky grassy slopes. Its distribution ranges from Avontuur and the Kammanassie mountains in the Western Cape, through the Eastern Cape, and into KwaZulu-Natal Province. The northernmost known records of this species are from near Belfast and Pilgrim's Rest in Mpumalanga Province. Additional records exist from Kokstad and Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as Harrismith and Clocolan in the Free State Province. The subspecies D. basuticus subsp. fourcadei grows at the westernmost end of the species' full distribution range, and occurs in the mountainous Uniondale, Langkloof and Kouga regions, around the border between the Western and Eastern Cape provinces.
