Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia

Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia
The "fiddleneck" of a plant in the Voorhis Ecological Reserve near Pomona, California
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	(unplaced)
Family:	Boraginaceae
Genus:	Amsinckia
Species:	A. menziesii var. intermedia
Binomial name
Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia [(Lehm.) A. Nelson & J.F. Macbr.] - (Fisch. & C.A. Mey.) & Ganders

Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia (Common Fiddleneck, or Intermediate Fiddleneck) is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family (also called the Borage or Forget-me-not family). It is one of the common fiddlenecks of western North America, distributed from Alaska and Canada through the Western United States to Mexico. Like other members of the genus, it has a terminal flowering whorl somewhat shaped like the head of a violin or fiddle, hence the name fiddleneck. The flowers are yellow-orange, orange, or dark yellow.

In Australia, the species has become a common weed of cultivated areas in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

Its seeds are the favorite food of Lawrence's Goldfinch during that Californian bird's nesting season of spring and early summer.

References

• Jepson Manual treatment - Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia
• USDA: NRCS Plants Profile Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia
• Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia at the LBJ Wildflower Center
• Images at CalPhotos