Amsinckia spectabilis var. spectabilis Fisch. & C.A. Mey.
seaside fiddleneck (woolly breeches)
Boraginaceae (Borage family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Dave Ingram     (Photo ID #29893)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Amsinckia spectabilis
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Species Information

General:
Annual herb from a taproot; stems erect or often reclining to prostrate, spreading stiff-hairy, simple or branched, to 40 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves not persistent; stem leaves irregularly fine-toothed, lanceolate to lance-linear or lance-elliptic, to 5 cm long and about 1 cm wide, alternate.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a coiled cluster; petals orange, fused into a tube 4-8 mm long that spreads (3-5 mm wide) at the top to 5 short lobes; calyx lobes 5, but 2 of them half-fused, with long stiff hairs and a few shorter, softer hairs.
Fruits:
Nutlets 4, clustered together, 1.5-2.5 mm long, egg-shaped, weakly wrinkled or pimply, blackish.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Habitat and Range

Moist sandy coastal beaches in the lowland zone; infrequent on the Queen Charlotte Islands, Vancouver Island the Gulf Islands and the lower Fraser Valley; S to N Baja CA.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Amsinckia scouleri I.M. Johnst.
Amsinckia spectabilis var. bracteosa (Gray) Boivin
Amsinckia spectabilis var. microcarpa (Greene) Jepson & Hoover
Amsinckia spectabilis var. nicolai (Jepson) I.M. Johnston ex Munz
Amsinckia spectabilis var. spectabilis Fisch. & C. A. Mey. [superfluous autonym]