Common corncockle vs Common Peony

Agrostemma githago compared with Paeonia officinalis

Key Differences

Common corncockle is Critically Endangered while Common Peony is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common corncockle	Common Peony
Kingdom same	Plantae (نباتات)	Plantae (نباتات)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (كاسيات البذور)	Magnoliophyta (كاسيات البذور)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (ماغنولانية)	Magnoliopsida (ماغنولانية)
Order	Caryophyllales (قرنفليات)	Saxifragales (كاسريات الحجر)
Family	Caryophyllaceae	Paeoniaceae
Genus	Agrostemma	Paeonia
Species	Agrostemma githago	Paeonia officinalis

Evolutionary Relationship

Common corncockle and Common Peony share a common ancestor at the Class level: Magnoliopsida. (ماغنولانية)

استعراض Class: Magnoliopsida

Conservation Status

Common corncockle

CR — Critically Endangered

Common Peony

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common corncockle	Common Peony
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common corncockle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including montane grasslands and shrublands, tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, and temperate coniferous forests, among 13 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Lesotho), Asia (7 countries), Europe (24 countries), North America (Canada, Mexico, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (Brazil, Chile). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Peony

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found across Europe (9 countries) and North America (Canada, United States).

Common corncockle

Agrostemma githago, commonly known as common corncockle, is an annual flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. Once a widespread weed of cereal crops across Europe, Asia, and beyond, this species is now Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to the dramatic decline caused by modern agricultural practices, particularly improved grain cleaning and herbicide use. Corncockle is a tall, slender plant covered in silky white hairs, bearing large, solitary pink to purple flowers with distinctive dark veining. Its seeds contain toxic saponin compounds called githagins, which historically contaminated grain supplies. The species now survives primarily in wildflower conservation areas, seed banks, and traditional farmland conservation schemes. It typically grows in open, disturbed arable soils with full sun exposure. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

Common Peony

Paeonia officinalis, the common peony, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Paeoniaceae, widely cultivated for its large, showy flowers ranging from deep red to pink and white. In the wild, it typically grows in open woodlands, scrublands, and rocky hillsides across southern and central Europe, with native or naturalised populations documented in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Canada, and numerous other European and North American countries. The species prefers well-drained soils in partially shaded to open positions and produces large, deeply divided leaves alongside its ornamental blooms, which appear in late spring. Paeonia officinalis has a long history of medicinal and ornamental use spanning millennia, and numerous cultivated varieties have been developed. It is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, reflecting stable populations in many parts of its native range, though wild populations can be locally threatened by over-collection, agricultural expansion, and habitat conversion. Biological traits such as average lifespan of individual plants, precise dimensions, and detailed dietary or metabolic data remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. The species plays a role in supporting pollinators, particularly beetles and bees that visit its flowers.