Amsinckia sp.
Fiddleneck, Fiddleneck
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Annual · Variable; species dependent
Amsinckia sp. (Fiddleneck) is a non-native California annual in the Boraginaceae family.
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 sp. native to California?
No. Amsinckia sp. is not native to California (recorded as variable; species dependent).
What plant family does Amsinckia sp. belong to?
Amsinckia sp. is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Amsinckia.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Amsinckia spectabilis — Seaside amsinckia
- Amsinckia spectabilis var. microcarpa — Mesa fiddleneck
- Amsinckia spectabilis var. spectabilis — Seaside fiddleneck
- Amsinckia tessellata — Bristly fiddleneck
- Amsinckia tessellata var. gloriosa — Carrizo fiddleneck
- Amsinckia tessellata var. tessellata — Desert fiddleneck
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.