Fiddleneck | |
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Amsinckia eastwoodiae | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Eudicots |
(unranked): | Asterids |
Order: | (unplaced) |
Family: | Boraginaceae |
Genus: |
Amsinckia Lehm. |
Type species | |
Amsinckia lycopsoides |
|
Species | |
Amsinckia carinata |
Amsinckia carinata
Amsinckia douglasiana
Amsinckia eastwoodiae
Amsinckia grandiflora
Amsinckia intermedia
Amsinckia lunaris
Amsinckia lycopsoides
Amsinckia marginata
Amsinckia menziesii
Amsinckia spectabilis
Amsinckia tessellata
Amsinckia vernicosa
Amsinckia is a genus of flowering plants commonly known as fiddlenecks. The common name is derived from the flower stems, bearing many small flowers, which curl over at the top in a manner reminiscent of the head of a fiddle. Fiddlenecks are in the family Boraginaceae, along with borage and forget-me-nots. The genus is named after the patrician Amsinck family in honour of the Hamburg head of state and patron of botany Wilhelm Amsinck (1752–1831).
The fiddlenecks are native to western North America and south-western South America, but they are naturalized in other regions. They are annuals, 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.