Amsinckia vernicosa
Waxy fiddleneck, Waxy Fiddleneck
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · licence
Family: Boraginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Amsinckia vernicosa (Waxy fiddleneck) is a native California herb in the Boraginaceae family, recognized by glaucous hairless stems and large smooth fruits diagnostic.
Waxy fiddleneck is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada Foothills, western San Joaquin Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, southern Coast Ranges, western Transverse Ranges, and Mojave Desert in uncommon shaly slope habitats at elevations of 50 to 1,400 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces bright yellow to orange-yellow flowers with delicate bell-shaped corollas 8 to 12 millimeters long. Growing with smooth, slightly glaucous stems that are whitish to pinkish at the base, it reaches moderate heights with distinctive slender branches. Its leaves are pale glaucous, creating a soft blue-green appearance across the plant's surface. The fruit is a smooth, shiny, lanceolate seed 4 to 6 millimeters long with a distinctive longitudinal groove.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 11 sympatric species; glaucous hairless stems and large smooth fruits diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Generally shaly slopes
Elevation: 50-1400 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Monterey, Kern, San Luis Obispo, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Fresno, San Benito, Los Angeles, Alameda, Inyo, Kings, Sonoma, Ventura
Bloom period
Amsinckia vernicosa blooms Mar-May.
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 vernicosa native to California?
Yes. Amsinckia vernicosa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Amsinckia vernicosa bloom?
Amsinckia vernicosa blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Amsinckia vernicosa grow?
Amsinckia vernicosa occurs in San Bernardino, Monterey, Kern, San Luis Obispo, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Fresno, San Benito and other counties, at elevations of 50-1400 m.
What plant family does Amsinckia vernicosa belong to?
Amsinckia vernicosa is in the Boraginaceae family, genus Amsinckia.
What habitat does Amsinckia vernicosa grow in?
Amsinckia vernicosa grows in Uncommon. Generally shaly slopes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Amsinckia douglasiana — Douglas's fiddleneck
- Amsinckia eastwoodiae — Eastwood's fiddleneck
- Amsinckia furcata — Forked fiddleneck
- Amsinckia grandiflora — Large-flowered fiddleneck
- Amsinckia intermedia — Common fiddleneck
- Amsinckia lunaris — Bent-flowered fiddleneck
- Amsinckiopsis kingii — Great basin popcornflower
- Amsinckiopsis kingii var. harknessii — Northern great basin popcornflower
- Amsinckiopsis kingii var. kingii — Southern great basin popcornflower
- Amsinckiopsis sp.
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.