Common Fiddleneck

Common Fiddleneck - Amsinckia micrantha

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Alternative names
Tarweed or Tarweed Fiddleneck
Description

It is a very hairy plant with deep yellow trumpet shaped flowers that have five very short petals. It grows to about 50 cm.

Similar Species

Amsinckia lycopsoides - there is one very old record in VC55

Identification difficulty
ID checklist (your specimen should have all of these features)

Corolla without hairy scales

Recording advice

Photograph of whole plant

Habitat

Weed of arable land and waste ground preferring sandy soils.

When to see it

May and June

Life History

Annual. It is an alien from America.

UK Status

Occasional with most records coming from eastern England.

VC55 Status

Rare in Leicestershire and Rutland. It was not recorded in the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire.

  • Graham Calow
    B4114, Sharnford
    09 May 2018
  • Steven Lewis
    Welby
    05 June 2016
  • Graham Calow
    B4114, Sharnford
    09 May 2018
  • Graham Calow
    B4114, Sharnford
    09 May 2018
  • Craig Mabbett
    Lutterworth, Rugby Road
    20 November 2021
  • Graham Calow
    B4114, Sharnford
    09 May 2018
    bristly leaf

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Additional images

All NatureSpot records