A
fiddleneck is a
flowering plantThe flowering plants or angiosperms are the most diverse group of land plants. The flowering plants and the gymnosperms are the only extant groups of seed plants...
in the
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
Amsinckia. The name derives from the flower stems, bearing many small flowers, which curl over at the top in a manner reminiscent of the head of a
fiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, including the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
. Fiddlenecks are in the family
BoraginaceaeBoraginaceae, the Borage or Forget-me-not family, includes a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbs, totaling about 2,000 species in 146 genera found worldwide.A number of familiar plants belong to this family....
, along with borage and forget-me-nots.
The fiddlenecks are native to western
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
and south-western
South AmericaSouth America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere...
, but they have spread widely to other regions. They are
annualsAn annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
, many of them bristly. Most have an erect stem, whose height varies from 20 to 120 cm. In most species the flowers are yellow, often with an orange tinge. Most are found at relatively low altitudes, below 500 metres.
The seeds and foliage of fiddlenecks are poisonous to livestock, particularly
cattleCattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, because they contain
alkaloidAlkaloids are naturally occurring chemical compounds containing basic nitrogen atoms. The name derives from the word alkaline and was used to describe any nitrogen-containing base. Alkaloids are produced by a large variety of organisms, including bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals and are part of...
s and high concentrations of
nitrateIn inorganic chemistry, a nitrate is a salt of nitric acid with an ion composed of one nitrogen and three oxygen atoms . In organic chemistry the esters of nitric acid and various alcohols are called nitrates.-Chemical properties:...
s. The sharp hairs of the plants can cause skin irritation in humans. However, the shoots, seeds or leaves of several species were used as food by
Native AmericansThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Americas, their descendants, and many ethnic groups who identify with those peoples...
, and the plant also had some medicinal uses.
The
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
are hard to distinguish, and their ranges overlap; furthermore several of them have large numbers of slightly different varieties, and several of the species hybridise naturally. To decide which species a particular specimen belongs to, therefore, is likely to require a detailed examination with an identification key in hand.
Species
- Amsinckia carinata, Malheur Fiddleneck—Rare. Endemic to Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and listed as endangered by the state. Has been considered to be a synonym of A. vernicosaAmsinckia vernicosa is a species of fiddleneck known by the common name green fiddleneck. It is endemic to California, where it is an uncommon member of mountain, desert, and valley habitat in several regions. This is a hairy annual herb somewhat similar to other fiddlenecks, but waxy in texture...
, but this is implausible given the separation of their ranges.
- Amsinckia douglasiana
Amsinckia douglasiana is an uncommon species of fiddleneck known by the common name Douglas' fiddleneck. It is native to the coastal mountain ranges of central California, but it is also known as an occasional introduced species on the East Coast of the US...
, Douglas' Fiddleneck—Uncommon. South Coast and Western Transverse Ranges of California
- Amsinckia eastwoodiae
Amsinckia eastwoodiae is a species of fiddleneck known by the common name Eastwood's fiddleneck. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the varied plant habitat of the hills, mountains, valleys, and coastlines. This is a bristly annual herb similar in appearance to the other fiddlenecks...
, Eastwood's Fiddleneck—Lower-lying areas of central and southern California, west of the Sierra Nevadas
- Amsinckia grandiflora
Amsinckia grandiflora is a species of fiddleneck known by the common name large-flowered fiddleneck. This is a wildflower endemic to California and considered endangered on the state and national level. The last remaining native populations are on the grasslands near Lawrence Livermore National...
, Large-flowered Fiddleneck—Central Valley of California. EndemicEndemism is the ecological state of being unique to a particular geographic location, such as a specific island, habitat type, nation, or other defined zone. To be endemic to a place or area means that it is found only in that part of the world and nowhere else. For example, many species of lemur...
to California and listed as endangered by the state and by the US federal government.
- Amsinckia lunaris
Amsinckia lunaris is an uncommon species of fiddleneck known by the common name bentflower fiddleneck. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the San Francisco Bay Area and the woods of the coastal and inland mountains just north...
, Bent-flowered Fiddleneck—Uncommon. San Francisco Bay AreaThe San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Yay Area, is a metropolitan region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses large cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and...
, Inner Coast Ranges and western Central Valley of California. Endemic to California and listed as fairly endangered by the state.
- Amsinckia lycopsoides
Amsinckia lycopsoides is a species of fiddleneck known by the common name tarweed fiddleneck. It is one of the more common species of fiddleneck. It is native to much of western North America from California to British Columbia, and it is native or an introduced species far beyond this region, to...
, Tarweed Fiddleneck—Common. Found in all the Pacific coast states of the USA (though not east of the Sierra Nevadas in California), and into IdahoIdaho is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans." Idaho was admitted to the Union on 3 July 1890 as the 43rd state....
to the east and British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
to the north
- Amsinckia menziesii
Amsinckia menziesii is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family, the Borage or Forget-me-not family. It is the "common fiddleneck" and has two varieties:-References:**...
, Rancher's Fireweed—Abundant throughout the western states of the USA, in British Columbia and in Baja CaliforniaBaja California is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North Territory of Baja California. It has an area of , or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises the northern half of the Baja California peninsula, north...
, at heights of up to 1700 metres. Also native to South America, and found as an alien species in eastern North America and the Old World. Several varieties recognised.
- Amsinckia spectabilis
Amsinckia spectabilis is a species of fiddleneck known by the common names seaside fiddleneck and woolly breeches. It is native to the west coast of North America from British Columbia to Baja California, where it grows in sandy habitat, including direct coastline. This is a bristly annual herb...
, Seaside Fiddleneck or Woolly Breeches—Found on the Pacific coast of North America from British Columbia to Baja California, and on offshore islands, at heights of up to 300m.
- Amsinckia tessellata
Amsinckia tessellata is a species of fiddleneck known by the common names bristly fiddleneck and devil's lettuce. It is native to much of western North America from British Columbia to New Mexico to Baja California, where it is a common plant in many types of habitat, including disturbed areas....
, Devil's Lettuce or Bristly Fiddleneck—Common. Found at heights up to 2200 metres, in most of California, Arizona, Oregon and Washington; also found in South America. Absent from the Sierra Nevadas and the north coastal regions of California. Several varieties recognised.
- Amsinckia vernicosa
Amsinckia vernicosa is a species of fiddleneck known by the common name green fiddleneck. It is endemic to California, where it is an uncommon member of mountain, desert, and valley habitat in several regions. This is a hairy annual herb somewhat similar to other fiddlenecks, but waxy in texture...
, Green Fiddleneck—Uncommon. Found at heights of up to 1500 metres, in the south Coast Ranges of California and the Mojave DesertThe Mojave Desert , , locally referred to as the High Desert, occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
.
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