• Photo of Agrostemma githago (Agrostemma githagos)

Plant Profile: Agrostemma githago

Taxonomy: Agrostemma githago

Names

Cockle, Corn Cockle

  • Photo of Agrostemma githago (Agrostemma githagos)

Phonetic Spelling:ag-roh-STEM-mah gith-AY-go

Genus:Agrostemma

Species:githago

Family:Caryophyllaceae

Corn Cockle is a yearly herbaceous plant and weed originally from Europe, now widely established across the United States, particularly in North Carolina where it thrives in disturbed environments like meadows and fields. This plant features hairy stems and slender leaves arranged oppositely. Its flowers, which bloom throughout the summer, are solitary and boast five petals that range in color from pink to purple.

Unfortunately, the prevalence of Corn Cockle is declining as a result of contemporary agricultural methods.

Habitat: Commonly found in weedy areas, cultivated grain fields, along roadsides, and in neglected spaces.

Agrostemma githago Feature Summary

Agrostemma githago Image Gallery

Tags

#purple
#poisonous
#full sun tolerant
#annual
#purple flowers
#pink flowers
#weedy
#fields
#partial shade tolerant
#roadside
#meadows

Similar Plants

Agrostemma githago Feature Summary

Fruit
Fruit is a capsule with numerous black, pitted seeds.
Flowers
Flowers are 1-1.5 inches wide with 5 pink or purplish petals and 5 sepals that extend beyond the petals. They grow singly on long stalks from the leaf axils all summer.
Pink
Purple/Lavender
4-5 petals/rays
1-3 inches
Leaves
Leaves are opposite, sessile, narrow, hairy and simple up to 6 inches long. They are lanceolate to linear in outline with entire margins and the bases of the leaves somewhat clasp the stem.
Linear
Lanceolate
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
Stem
silky-haired, slender stems
Hairy (pubescent)
Poisonous to Humans
Poisonous by: ingestion of seeds. Symptoms may include severe stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, weakness, slow breathing.
Glycoside githagenin
Whole Plant Traits
Annual
Poisonous
Weed
Herb
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Dry
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Cottage Garden
English Garden
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Poisonous to Humans
Weedy

Agrostemma githago Attributes

Agrostemma githago: Country Or Region Of Origin

Europe

Agrostemma githago: Distribution

Naturalized in USA

Agrostemma githago: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Agrostemma githago: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Agrostemma githago Fruit

Agrostemma githago: Fruit Description

Fruit is a capsule with numerous black, pitted seeds.

Agrostemma githago: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Agrostemma githago: Fruit Color

grass
Black

Agrostemma githago: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Agrostemma githago Flowers

Agrostemma githago: Flower Description

Flowers are 1-1.5 inches wide with 5 pink or purplish petals and 5 sepals that extend beyond the petals. They grow singly on long stalks from the leaf axils all summer.

Agrostemma githago: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Pink
filter_vintage
Purple/Lavender

Agrostemma githago: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Agrostemma githago: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Agrostemma githago: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Agrostemma githago: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Agrostemma githago: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Agrostemma githago Leaves

Agrostemma githago: Leaf Description

Leaves are opposite, sessile, narrow, hairy and simple up to 6 inches long. They are lanceolate to linear in outline with entire margins and the bases of the leaves somewhat clasp the stem.

Agrostemma githago: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Agrostemma githago: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Agrostemma githago: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Agrostemma githago: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Agrostemma githago: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Agrostemma githago: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Agrostemma githago: Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Agrostemma githago Stem

Agrostemma githago: Stem Description

silky-haired, slender stems

Agrostemma githago: Stem Color

grass
Green

Agrostemma githago: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Agrostemma githago: Stem Surface

Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)

Agrostemma githago Poisonous to Humans

Agrostemma githago: Poison Symptoms

Poisonous by: ingestion of seeds. Symptoms may include severe stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, weakness, slow breathing.

Agrostemma githago: Poison Toxic Principle

Glycoside githagenin

Agrostemma githago: Poison Severity

High
Low
Medium

Agrostemma githago: Causes Contact Dermatitis

No
Yes

Agrostemma githago: Poison Part

Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Leaves
Roots
Sap/Juice
Seeds
Stems

Agrostemma githago Whole Plant Traits

Agrostemma githago: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Agrostemma githago: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Agrostemma githago Cultural Conditions

Agrostemma githago: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Agrostemma githago: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Agrostemma githago: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Agrostemma githago: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Agrostemma githago Landscape

Agrostemma githago: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Agrostemma githago: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Agrostemma githago: Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy