Broad Scalewort vs Common corncockle

Porella obtusata compared with Agrostemma githago

Key Differences

• Broad Scalewort is Endangered while Common corncockle is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Broad Scalewort	Common corncockle
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Marchantiophyta (liverwort)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Jungermanniopsida (Jungermanniopsida)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Porellales (Porellales)	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)
Family	Porellaceae	Caryophyllaceae
Genus	Porella	Agrostemma
Species	Porella obtusata	Agrostemma githago

Evolutionary Relationship

Broad Scalewort and Common corncockle share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Plantae. (Plants)

Conservation Status

Broad Scalewort

EN — Endangered

Common corncockle

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Broad Scalewort	Common corncockle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Broad Scalewort

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its 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.

Broad Scalewort

The Broad Scalewort (Porella obtusata) is a species in the genus Porella. It is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

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.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 4 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States