Corn gromwell

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• bastard alkanet
• corn gromwell
• field gromwell
• pigeonweed
• take-all-weed
• white ironweed
• Gromwell
• Ironweed
• Sheepweed
• White Ironweeed
• puccoon

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Margarospermum arvense
• Rhytispermum arvense
• Aegonychon arvense
• Lithospermum arvense

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and is classified under the class Equisetopsida. It falls under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Boraginales, placing it in the family Boraginaceae. Ultimately, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Buglossoides.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific distribution pattern concentrated within the northern regions of the European continent. It can be found growing across the various landscapes of Denmark and Finland. Its presence also extends to the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. Additionally, the species is documented within the territory of Norway. Collectively, these locations highlight its preference for Northern European habitats.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Buglossoides arvensis is characterized by its remarkable adaptability to diverse environmental conditions and a broad altitudinal distribution. This species can be found across a vast elevational range, spanning from sea level (0 m AMSL) up to high-altitude regions reaching 2400 m AMSL. Its habitat preferences are highly varied, allowing it to colonize a multitude of landscapes including crop fields, forests, and inhabited places. Additionally, it thrives in more extreme or specialized environments such as mountains, oases, sandy areas, steppes, and stony places, demonstrating a robust ability to persist in both disturbed human-altered sites and natural wilderness settings.

Elevational range max:

2400 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

crop fields, forest, inhabited places, mountains, oasis, sand, steppe, stony places

Life history

The life history of Buglossoides arvensis is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning the plant completes its entire biological progression from germination to seed production within a single growing season. As a therophyte, it follows a strategic survival pattern where the plant dies back completely at the end of its cycle, leaving only seeds to persist in the soil during unfavorable conditions. This life form is defined by its ability to bypass seasonal stresses by existing in a dormant seed state, ensuring that the next generation emerges only when environmental conditions are suitable for rapid growth and reproduction.

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Buglossoides arvensis is characterized by a growth form classified as a non-woody herb and specifically a forb. This plant is a self-supporting species that does not exhibit climbing, liana, or vine behaviors, nor does it function as an epiphyte; instead, it maintains a terrestrial existence. As an independent organism, it does not act as a parasite on other plants. In terms of physical dimensions, the plant is relatively small, with a height ranging from a minimum of 0.05 m to a maximum of 0.7 m. Its ecological niche is primarily terrestrial, though its habitat profile encompasses aquatic, semiaquatic, and terrestrial environments.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.7 m

Plant height min:

0.05 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Buglossoides arvensis is characterized by a non-carnivorous nutritional strategy, relying on standard autotrophic processes rather than the capture of prey. Its vegetative structure is defined by distinct leaf morphology, where the leaves exhibit an elliptic form. The dimensions of these leaves show significant variability, with lengths ranging from a minimum of 2 cm to a mean of 3 cm, though they can reach a maximum extent of 65 cm. In terms of lateral expansion, the leaf width is relatively narrow, ranging from a minimum of 0.2 cm to a mean of 1 cm, which also serves as the maximum recorded width for the species.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf form :

elliptic

Leaf length max:

65 cm

Leaf length mean:

3 cm

Leaf length min:

2 cm

Leaf width mean:

1 cm

Leaf width min:

0.2 cm

Reproduction

The reproduction of Buglossoides arvensis is characterized by a sexual process involving bisexual flowers that lack the capacity for self-fertilization. The flowering period typically commences in April and concludes in June, featuring small white flowers that range in width from 0.25 cm to 0.5 cm. These flowers rely on biotic pollination, specifically utilizing an insect-based syndrome with bees acting as key pollinators. Following successful pollination, the plant produces dry, brown fruits that maintain a consistent length of approximately 0.3 cm. Each fruit contains a relatively small number of seeds, ranging from 1 to 10. The seeds themselves are highly uniform, measuring 3 mm in length, 2 mm in width, and possessing a volume of approximately 5.2 mm³. The mass of an individual seed varies slightly between 0.00516 g and 0.00628 g, with a mean mass of approximately 0.00600166666666667 g. Dispersal is achieved through a zoochorous mechanism, specifically via epizoochory, where seeds or fruits are transported by animals. No asexual reproduction methods were observed for this species.

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

epizoochorous

Flower colour :

white

Flower width max:

0.5 cm

Flower width min:

0.25 cm

Flowering time :

Apr

Flowering time :

Jun

Fruit colour :

brown

Fruit dryness :

dry

Fruit length max:

0.3 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed length mean:

3 mm

Seed mass max:

0.00628 g

Seed mass mean:

0.00600166666666667 g

Seed mass min:

0.00516 g

Seed volume max:

5.2 mm³

Seed width mean:

2 mm

Seeds_per_fruit :

1-10

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Buglossoides arvensis has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include seed.

Seed

1. Eksperimentalna meditsina i morfologiia

Activities

Buglossoides arvensis has 3 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Androgenic, Estrogenic, Gonadotropic.

Androgenic

1. Eksperimentalna meditsina i morfologiia

Estrogenic

1. Eksperimentalna meditsina i morfologiia

Gonadotropic

1. Eksperimentalna meditsina i morfologiia

Preparations

Buglossoides arvensis has 1 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include tea.

Tea

1. Eksperimentalna meditsina i morfologiia