Amsinckia menziesii
Common fiddleneck, small-flowered fiddleneck, Small-Flowered Fiddleneck
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Amsinckia menziesii (Common fiddleneck) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by decumbent habit and smallest flowers diagnostic.
Common fiddleneck is a California native annual found in California Floristic Province and Modoc Plateau in open, disturbed areas at forest and woodland edges at elevations below 1,700 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces yellow to orange-yellow flowers with small 4 to 7 millimeter corollas featuring distinctive spots. Growing with decumbent to ascending green to brown stems that are spreading-bristly and branching from the base, it reaches variable heights in disturbed habitats. Its leaves are green, spreading, and coarse-hairy to bristly, giving the plant a rough textural appearance. The small fruit is 2 to 3.5 millimeters long, with sharp tubercles that contribute to the plant's distinctive surface texture.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 14 sympatric species; decumbent habit and smallest flowers diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Shade-tolerant, open, disturbed areas at forest/woodland edges
Elevation: < 1700 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Kern, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, San Diego, El Dorado, Riverside, Tuolumne, Monterey, Madera, Alameda, Yolo, Placer, Modoc, Butte, San Mateo, San Benito, Lassen, Ventura, Siskiyou, Humboldt, Shasta, Imperial, Orange, Inyo, Nevada, Fresno, Lake, Tulare, Colusa, Sacramento, Mariposa, San Joaquin, Calaveras, Merced, Tehama, Contra Costa, Sutter, Plumas, Glenn, Yuba, San Francisco, Napa, Kings, Amador, Sierra, Stanislaus, Trinity, Alpine, Santa Clara, Solano, Santa Cruz
Outside California: to Alaska, Idaho, naturalized in central and eastern United States, also in South America
Bloom period
Amsinckia menziesii blooms May-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Phacelia: Amsinckia always has orange or yellow flowers; Phacelia flowers are blue, purple, or white.; vs Plantago: Amsinckia has coiled orange flower clusters; Plantago has dense spikes with tiny white-brown flowers.; vs Helminthotheca: Amsinckia has bristly stems but simple leaves; Helminthotheca leaves are prickly-bumpy textured.; vs Echium: Amsinckia flowers are orange-yellow; Echium flowers are blue-purple and distinctly lopsided.; vs Camissoniopsis: Amsinckia has coiled flower clusters; Camissoniopsis has 4-petaled evening primrose flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Amsinckia menziesii native to California?
Yes. Amsinckia menziesii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Amsinckia menziesii bloom?
Amsinckia menziesii blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Amsinckia menziesii grow?
Amsinckia menziesii occurs in San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Kern, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, San Diego, El Dorado, Riverside and other counties, at elevations of < 1700 m.
What plant family does Amsinckia menziesii belong to?
Amsinckia menziesii is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Amsinckia.
What habitat does Amsinckia menziesii grow in?
Amsinckia menziesii grows in Shade-tolerant, open, disturbed areas at forest/woodland edges.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.