''Agrostemma'' is a genus of annual plants in the family

Caryophyllaceae Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranthaceae, Cactacea ...

, containing the

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

known as corncockles. Its best-known member is ''A. githago'', the

common corncockle ''Agrostemma githago'', the common corn-cockle (also written "corncockle") is a herbaceous annual flowering plant in the pink and carnation family Caryophyllaceae. Description It grows with a stem to long with lanceolate leaves. The flowers ar ...

, which is a native of Europe. The species is a weed of cereals and other crops, probably with a centre of origin in the eastern Mediterranean.Preston, Pearman & Dines. (2002). ''New Atlas of the British Flora''. Oxford University Press. It occurs as a weed worldwide, but is declining in its native range because of improved seed cleaning. ''Agrostemma gracile'', the slender corncockle, is only found in central

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

near the city of

Farsala Farsala ( el, Φάρσαλα), known in Antiquity as Pharsalos ( grc, Φάρσαλος, la, Pharsalus), is a city in southern Thessaly, in Greece. Farsala is located in the southern part of Larissa regional unit, and is one of its largest towns. ...

. Corncockle is an attractive plant, and its seeds are still commercially available to gardeners.

Selected species

*''Agrostemma brachyloba'' Hammer, narrow corncockle *''

Agrostemma githago ''Agrostemma githago'', the common corn-cockle (also written "corncockle") is a herbaceous annual flowering plant in the pink and carnation family Caryophyllaceae. Description It grows with a stem to long with lanceolate leaves. The flowers ar ...

'' L.,

, corn-pink *''Agrostemma gracile''

References

Caryophyllaceae Caryophyllaceae genera {{Caryophyllaceae-stub