Amsinckia menziesii (Lehm.) A. Nelson & J.F. Macbr.
Orange fiddleneck, small-flowered fiddleneck, rancher’s fiddleneck, common fiddleneck, rancher’s fireweed, Menzies’ fiddleneck
Rancher’s fiddleneck is native to the western US, although it is now found in several more easterly states.
Plants: Erect, up to 2′ (60 cm) in height. There are many stiff, bristly hairs on stems and leaves and flower calyces.
Leaves: Beginning as a basal rosette, leaves become alternate and spread out along the stem. Leaves are sessile—attached to the stem.
Flowers: Yellow, tubular, flower groups often have red-orange markings inside the corollas. The term “fiddleneck” describes the way the flower cymes appear in a one-sided coil that looks a bit like the end of a fiddle.
Fruits: Four small nutlets per flower, 1/16–⅛″ (2.5–3 mm).
Habitats: Deserts, uplands, meadows, disturbed habitats.
Online References:
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 3½ × 4″ (9.2 × 11 cm) 
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 7 × 7″ (18 × 18 cm) 
5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm) 
5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park · ≈ 8 × 7″ (19 × 17 cm) 
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 7 × 7″ (17 × 18 cm) 
5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park · ≈ 7 × 6″ (17 × 16 cm) 
5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park · ≈ 6 × 4½″ (14 × 12 cm) 
5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park · ≈ 4½ × 3½″ (11 × 9.1 cm) 
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 3 × 3″ (7.9 × 7.8 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| 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 after Archibald Menzies (1754-1842), Scottish botanist and surgeon |
Amsinckia menziesii description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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