Dianthus fimbriatus Marschall von Bieberstein (1808), not Lamarck (1779), nor Brotero (1805), nor Hohenacker (1833).

Herbs perennial, (10--)15--30(--40) cm tall. Roots thick, ca. 1 cm in diam., woody. Stems caespitose, erect, basally woody, distally branched, glabrous. Basal leaves caespitose, linear-subulate, 1--4 cm × 1--1.5 mm, stiff, midvein convex abaxially, base broadened, shortly membranous sheathed, margin revolute, apex sharply pointed; cauline leaves somewhat shorter than basal ones. Flowers solitary, rarely in cymes, terminal; pedicel ca. 1.5 cm; bracts 6 or 8, ovate, 1/4--1/3 as long as calyx, margin membranous, apex mucronate or long acuminate. Calyx slightly glaucous, cylindric, (1.5--)2--2.5 cm × 4--5 mm, striate, glabrous; teeth lanceolate, margin membranous. Petals pink; claw long; limb narrowly oblong, fimbriate for ca. 1/2 its length. Stamens shorter than petals; anthers suboblong. Ovary suboblong. Styles linear. Capsule cylindric, slightly shorter than or equaling calyx, apex 4-toothed. Seeds black-brown, compressed suboblong, 3--4 × ca. 1.5 mm, broadly winged. Fl. May--Aug, fr. Aug--Sep.

The Chinese populations of Dianthus orientalis appear to be disjunct from the main range of the species and therefore deserve further study. Rechinger (Fl. Iran. 163: 155–166. 1988) recorded nine subspecies from SW Asia, ranging from Turkey to Iran, but no further east, even though the coverage of that flora extends to the western border of China.

Mountain slope grasslands, rocky areas, river banks, dry rocky deserts; 900--2200 m (Xinjiang), 3100--4100 m (Xizang). N Xinjiang, W Xizang [SW Asia].