Amsinckia spectabilis var. microcarpa

Mesa fiddleneck, Mesa Fiddleneck

Family: Boraginaceae · Type: annual · Native

Mesa fiddleneck is a California native annual found in southern Central Coast bioregions on sandy mesas and stabilized dunes at elevations below 180 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces yellow to orange flowers with a corolla 12 to 19 millimeters long and a limb 8 to 14 millimeters in diameter. Growing with erect stems, it develops sharp-pointed fruits about 1 to 1.5 millimeters long. Its leaves are narrow and elongated, typical of the fiddleneck genus, arranged alternately along the stem. The plant's compact structure and bright flowers make it a distinctive component of coastal sandy habitats.

Habitat: Localized. Sandy mesas, stabilized dunes

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: < 180 m

Bioregions: s CCo.

California counties: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura

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