Corn Gromwell
CR

Corn Gromwell

Buglossoides arvensis

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buglossoides_arvensis

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Corn Gromwell has declined sharply across its European arable range due to intensive modernisation of farming practices, particularly the widespread adoption of herbicides that eliminate it as a former common weed of cereal fields. Improved seed-cleaning technology has also removed it as a seed contaminant, cutting off its main historic dispersal pathway. Loss of low-intensity, rotational arable systems on calcareous soils has left few refuges where the species can complete its life cycle without chemical suppression.

Threat summary

Habitat

Corn Gromwell is an annual plant of arable field margins and cultivated land, typically found in cereal crops growing on calcareous or lime-rich soils across temperate Europe.

TERRESTRIAL· majorTERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Boraginaceae

German madwortEN

German madwort

Asperugo procumbens

Unknown
Bristly StickseedEN

Bristly Stickseed

Lappula squarrosa

Unknown
OysterplantCR

Oysterplant

Mertensia maritima

Unknown

Threatened in Afghanistan

Asian HoubaraVU

Asian Houbara

Chlamydotis macqueenii

Declining
VU

Urial

Ovis vignei

Declining
EN

Malus komarovii

Declining
EN

Cheilosia morio

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Corn Gromwell classified as Critically Endangered?
Corn Gromwell is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Corn Gromwell has declined sharply across its European arable range due to intensive modernisation of farming practices, particularly the widespread adoption of herbicides that eliminate it as a former common weed of cereal fields. Improved seed-cleaning technology has also removed it as a seed contaminant, cutting off its main historic dispersal pathway. Loss of low-intensity, rotational arable systems on calcareous soils has left few refuges where the species can complete its life cycle without chemical suppression.
Where does Corn Gromwell live?
Corn Gromwell occurs in Afghanistan, Åland Islands, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, and Argentina (plus 85 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Corn Gromwell?
The main threats to Corn Gromwell are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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