Dianthus is a
genus of about 300
species of
flowering plants in the
family Caryophyllaceae,
native mainly to Europe and Asia, with a few species extending south to north Africa, and one species (
D. repens) in arctic North America. Common names include
carnation (
D. caryophyllus),
pink (
D. plumarius and related species) and
sweet william (
D. barbatus).