Agrostemma githago L., Caryophyllaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Reject, score: 9 (Go to the risk assessment).

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: mai xian weng

English: cockle, corn campion, corn cockle, corn pink, purple cockle

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Plants 60-90 cm tall, with long appressed grayish hairs. Stems unbranched, often with axillary dichasia above. Leaves linear or linear-lanceolate, 4-13 cm x (2-) 5-10 mm, midvein prominent, base slightly connate, apex acute. Pedicel very long. Calyx tube 1.2-1.5 cm, abaxially villous; teeth 2-3 cm. Petal limbs pink, 1.4-1.8 cm, shorter than calyx teeth; claw white, narrowly cuneate; limb dark red, obovate, emarginate. Stamens and styles exserted. Capsule ovoid, 1.2-1.8 cm, slightly longer than calyx. Seeds black, ovoid or reniform, 2.5-3 mm, with prominent acute tubercles"  (Flora of China online).

Habitat/ecology:  "Weed of fields, wheat farmlands, roadside grasslands"  (Flora of China online).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Europe, northern Africa, western Asia (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Canada Canada	Canada (country)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced invasive	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 181)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Washington)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)

Comments:  "The stem, leaves, and seeds are poisonous"  (Flora of China online).

Additional information:
Additional online information about Agrostemma githago is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Agrostemma githago as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Agrostemma githago may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro. 2004. Invasive alien species in Japan: the status quo and the new regulation for prevention of their adverse effects. Global Environmental Research 8(2)/2004: 171-191.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2011. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).