Alpine Squill vs Common corncockle

Scilla bifolia compared with Agrostemma githago

Key Differences

Alpine Squill is Not Evaluated while Common corncockle is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Alpine Squill	Common corncockle
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Asparagales (Asparagales)	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)
Family	Asparagaceae	Caryophyllaceae
Genus	Scilla	Agrostemma
Species	Scilla bifolia	Agrostemma githago

Evolutionary Relationship

Alpine Squill and Common corncockle share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Magnoliophyta. (Flowering Plants)

View Phylum: Magnoliophyta

Conservation Status

Alpine Squill

NE — Not Evaluated

Common corncockle

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Alpine Squill	Common corncockle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alpine Squill

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Japan), Europe (9 countries), and North America (United States).

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.

Alpine Squill

The Alpine Squill (Scilla bifolia) is a species in the genus Scilla. Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes. Widely distributed across Asia (Japan), Europe (9 countries), and North America (United States).

Common corncockle

<em>Agrostemma githago</em>, 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.