Agrostemma

Not to be confused with Argostemma.
Corncockles
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Genus: Agrostemma
L.
Species

Several, including:
Agrostemma brachyloba
Agrostemma githago
Agrostemma gracile

Agrostemma is a genus of annual plants in the Caryophyllaceae family, containing the species known as corncockles. Its best-known member is A. githago, the Common Corncockle, which is a native of Europe where it is simply called "the Corncockle". The species is a weed of cereals and other crops, probably with a centre of origin in the eastern Mediterranean.[1] Nowadays declining in its native range because of improved seed cleaning, it is found as a weed worldwide. Agrostemma gracile, the Slender Corncockle, is only found in central Greece near the city of Farsala. Corncockle is an attractive plant, and its seeds are still commercially available to gardeners.

Selected species

References

  1. Preston, Pearman & Dines. (2002). New Atlas of the British Flora. Oxford University Press.