crown-of-the-field

9.9

A plant with large reddish-purple trumpet-shaped flowers and poisonous seeds that grows in fields and roadsides

noun

Specialized

: cabeza de gato

Farmers consider the crown-of-the-field a nuisance, as it tends to grow in grainfields and can be toxic.

Examples

Many gardeners admire the crown-of-the-field for its striking trumpet-shaped blooms during the summer months.
He knew his country had fought tooth and nail to keep Cuba the last jewel in the crown of the Spanish empire.

Fiction book (1996)
The crown-of-the-field is often seen blooming along the roadside, showcasing its vibrant reddish-purple flowers.

Synonyms

corn cockle

vscrown-of-the-field

9.9

A plant with bright purple, trumpet-shaped flowers and poisonous seeds that grows in grain fields and roadsides

is the same plant but given here as the main entry

Agrostemma githago

vscrown-of-the-field

9.9

A plant from Europe that lives one year, with purple trumpet flowers and poisonous seeds

is the common description used here instead of the scientific name

corn campion

vscrown-of-the-field

9.9

A European wildflower with reddish-purple trumpet-shaped flowers and poisonous seeds

refers to the same type of weed but is a different species here

Surface Forms

crown-of-the-field singular

crown-of-the-fields plural

Etymology

Crown-of-the-field is a simple English name made from crown meaning 'a circle or top' and field meaning 'open land', a helpful way to remember that the plant's bright, crown-like flowers often appear in grain fields. So the name brings to mind a showy wildflower with trumpet-shaped reddish-purple blooms that grows in fields and has poisonous seeds.