Common corncockle vs Common Sensitive-Plant

Agrostemma githago compared with Mimosa pudica

Key Differences

• Common corncockle is Critically Endangered while Common Sensitive-Plant is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common corncockle	Common Sensitive-Plant
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)
Family	Caryophyllaceae	Fabaceae
Genus	Agrostemma	Mimosa
Species	Agrostemma githago	Mimosa pudica

Evolutionary Relationship

Common corncockle and Common Sensitive-Plant share a common ancestor at the Class level: Magnoliopsida. (Dicots)

Conservation Status

Common corncockle

CR — Critically Endangered

Common Sensitive-Plant

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common corncockle	Common Sensitive-Plant
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 Sensitive-Plant

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 9 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (22 countries), Asia (19 countries), Europe (Spain, Sweden), North America (5 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (13 countries), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

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.

Common Sensitive-Plant

<em>Mimosa pudica</em>, the common sensitive plant, is a pantropical annual or perennial herb in the family Fabaceae, order Fabales, native to South and Central America but now naturalized across tropical Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America. This species is best known for its rapid thigmonastic leaf movements — leaflets and petioles fold inward and droop within seconds of being touched or disturbed, a response thought to deter herbivores and reduce water loss. <em>Mimosa pudica</em> typically grows as a sprawling, prickly herb in disturbed habitats including roadsides, pastures, and degraded lands, and produces small pink to purple spherical flower heads. The seeds are dispersed via various vectors and germinate readily, contributing to its success as an invasive species in many regions outside its native range. The species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, reflecting its wide distribution and high adaptability. Biological traits for this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature in terms of standardized averages for lifespan, plant height, and weight, though its growth habit and ecological behavior as a pioneer and potential invasive are well characterized.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 8 countries:

🇦🇺 Australia 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇨🇳 China 🇮🇳 India 🇯🇵 Japan 🇪🇸 Spain 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States