Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Pisapia, Robert J.

Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia

Amsinckia menziesii (Lehm.) A. Nelson & J.F. Macbr. var. intermedia (Fisch. & C.A. Mey.) Ganders

Common Fiddleneck, Intermediate Fiddleneck

Boraginaceae (Borage Family)

Synonym(s): Amsinckia arizonica, Amsinckia demissa, Amsinckia echinata, Amsinckia intactilis, Amsinckia intermedia, Amsinckia intermedia var. echinata, Amsinckia microphylla, Amsinckia nana, Amsinckia rigida

USDA Symbol: AMMEI2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), AK (I), HI (I?), CAN (N)

Coils of small, yellow-orange flowers at branch ends; leafy stems with both long, spreading, bristly hairs and very short, dense, downward-projecting hairs.

The common name Fiddleneck refers to the coiled inflorescence. This species, now introduced in many places in the world, has large- and small-flowered races. More than 100 scientific names were applied to these races before they were understood to be components of a single widespread and variable species.

From the Image Gallery

3 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Schizocarp
Size Notes: Up to about 5 feet tall, often shorter.
Fruit: Nutlets.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Orange , Yellow
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May

Distribution

USA: AK , AZ , CA , CT , HI , ID , IL , MA , ME , MO , MT , ND , NE , NH , NV , NY , OR , PA , TX , UT , WA , WY
Native Distribution: Alaska south to Baja California and east to North Dakota, Nebraska, and New Mexico; also Texas, Missouri, llinois, and the Northeast.
Native Habitat: Along roadsides, fields, and other dry open places.

Benefit

Use Food: Seeds harvested for food by indigenous peoples.
Warning: Can be toxic to animals if eaten. Humans should generally avoid ingesting plants that are toxic to animals.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Honey Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Natural Biodiversity - Johnstown, PA
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 1218 - Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources (2006) Anderson, M. Kat

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-11-14
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back