Amsinckia retrorsa

Rigid fiddleneck

Family: Boraginaceae · Type: annual · Native

Rigid fiddleneck is a California native annual found in dry, disturbed sites throughout California, particularly in rare (D) distribution areas, at elevations up to 1,600 meters. Flowering from February to May, this plant produces small yellow flowers in delicate clusters with corollas 5 to 8 millimeters long. Growing with erect stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, the plant is characterized by grayish herbage covered in bristly, soft hairs that give it a distinctive textured appearance. Its leaves are narrow and elongated, covered in reflexed hairs that contribute to its overall grayish-green coloration. The fruit is small, approximately 2 to 3 millimeters long, with dense, sharp tubercles that aid in seed dispersal.

Habitat: Shade-intolerant, disturbed, dry sites, roadsides

Bloom period: Feb-May

Elevation: < 1600(2250) m

Bioregions: CA (rare D)

California counties: Los Angeles, Modoc, Siskiyou, Fresno, El Dorado, Amador, Riverside, San Benito, San Mateo, Plumas, Stanislaus, Tehama, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Santa Barbara, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Napa, Madera, Ventura, Monterey, San Bernardino, Lake, Kern, Calaveras, Tulare, Placer, Inyo, Merced, Yuba, Sacramento, Humboldt, Colusa, Mendocino, San Joaquin

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.