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).
Code: AMTE3
Synonyms: devil's lettuce, fiddleneck
Family: Boraginaceae (borage, forget-me-not family)
Phenology: Annual, blooms in late spring
Flower: yellow or orange and have 5 petals, flowers line the flowering stalks and uncoil upward as blooming occurs from the bottom to the top of stems; the coiled end of a flowering stem resembles the neck of
a fiddle
Leaves: Leaves and stems are heavily covered with dense, stiff, long bristles. Basal leaves are numerous and crowded, while stem leaves become sparser and smaller near the top of the plant; ends of leaves can appear crimped or coiled
NATIVE TO IDAHO