Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia (Orange fiddleneck)

Amsinckia menziesii (Lehm.) A. Nelson & J.F. Macbr. var. intermedia (Fisch. & C.A. Mey.) Ganders

Amsinckia arizonica Suksd.

Amsinckia demissa Suksd.

Amsinckia echinata A. Gray

Amsinckia intermedia Fisch. & C.A. Mey.

Amsinckia intactilis J.F. Macbr.

Amsinckia intermedia Fisch. & C.A. Mey. var. echinata (A. Gray) Wiggins

Amsinckia microphylla Suksd.

Amsinckia nana Suksd.

Amsinckia rigida Suksd.

Orange fiddleneck, small-flowered fiddleneck, rancher’s fiddleneck, common fiddleneck, rancher's fireweed

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Lamiales	Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary
Family	Boraginaceae	Borages or forget-me-nots
Genus	Amsinckia	Fiddlenecks, named for German botanist Wilhelm Amsinck
Species	menziesii	Named for surgeon and naturalist Archibald Menzies
var.	intermedia	Means “intermediate”

About plant names...

Common fiddleneck is so named because the flowerheads look a bit like the top of a fiddle when viewed in profile. They are natives of North America.

Identification: Plants are less than 5' (1.5 m) high. The leaves are bristly, and sharp enough to irritate the skin. The yellow flowers are about ¼" (6.3 mm) in size. There are several difficult-to-distinguish species.

The fiddlehead shape.

Online References:

Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia on Wikipedia

Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia on CalPhotos

Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia at Southeastern Arizona Wildflowers and the Plants of the Sonoran Desert

Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (PDF)

Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia on SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network

Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia from the Jepson Manual

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
≈ 3½ × 3" (9.2 × 8.3 cm) ID is uncertain

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
≈ 7 × 7" (18 × 18 cm)

Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain

5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park
≈ 9 × 7" (22 × 18 cm) ID is uncertain

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
≈ 3 × 3" (7.9 × 7.7 cm) ID is uncertain

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
≈ 7 × 7" (17 × 18 cm)

5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park
≈ 8 × 6" (20 × 16 cm) ID is uncertain

5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park
≈ 6 × 4½" (15 × 12 cm) ID is uncertain

5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park
≈ 5 × 3½" (13 × 9.6 cm) ID is uncertain

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
≈ 3 × 3" (7.9 × 7.8 cm) ID is uncertain

Range: Zones 4-8:

About this map...