Corncockle

Scientific name: Agrostemma githago

Förekomst: Rare

Corncockle is today very rare and occurs largely only on Öland and Gotland, as well as in southern Skåne. It used to be a common sight in autumn-sown fields and could often be a troublesome weed in fields with rye and barley. Through effective seed cleaning and weed control, it has now almost completely disappeared. In the threshing of old times, it was difficult to clear away the seeds of the corncockle, which followed to the next seed. The seeds of the corncockle quickly lose their germination in the soil and are therefore dependent on an annual addition of seeds in the soil, which makes it very vulnerable.

Today you can see corncockle where you apply old cultivation methods that allow the seeds of the corncockle to spread. It grows in raw fields, and in some places also on roadsides and sunny slopes. Flowering occurs shortly after midsummer.

Ever since the Stone Age, corncockle has been known in Europe and has spread far and wide with human cultivation. Its original home is probably the eastern Mediterranean.

Corncockle seeds contain toxic so-called saponins, which give flour a bitter, unpleasant taste. It has also had a use in folk medicine, mainly against leprosy and jaundice.

The species name githago was a plant name used by the roman Celsus. The family name Agrostemma comes from the Greek agros (field) and stemma (wreath).

Corncockle hittar du på följande platser:

• Karum