Botanical name: Dianthus caryophyllus
Carnation or Dianthus, its botanical name, means divine flower. Carnation was the flesh-pink colour Elizabethan portrait painters used as a background wash. Available in a huge range of colours, almost all except blue. Carnation blooms are edible. With petals pulled apart, they can be used to sprinkle color & spicy scent over the surface of a leafy salad, perhaps also with the addition of a few honeysuckle trumpets & nasturtiums. There are folklores associated with carnations, and one is supposed to be making a statement by the color of carnation one is wearing. I am an ardent admirer of this flower, as it has attracted my attention quite often. This photograph was taken on 1st October, 2011 at the Mysore Dussehra flower show.
