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Carnation
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Carnation
ntroduced Herb Photo: Thingnam Girija
Common name: Carnation
Botanical name: Dianthus caryophyllus    Family: Caryophyllaceae (Carnation family)

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:
Carnation (pink) - I'll never forget you
Carnation (purple) - Capriciousness; whimsical; changeable
Carnation (red) - My heart aches for you; admiration
Carnation (solid color) -Yes
Carnation (striped)- No; refusal; sorry I can't be with you; wish I could be with you
Carnation (white) -Sweet and lovely; innocence; pure love; woman's good luck gift
Carnation (yellow) - Rejection; disdain

Identification credit: Thingnam Girija Photographed in cultivation in Delhi.

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