Amsinckia menziesii, the ranchers fiddleneck

    Amsinckia menziesii, the ranchers fiddleneck

    Amsinckia menziesii, commonly known as the ranchers fiddleneck and previously as A. retrorsa, is an alien weed from the west of the United States. It now lives well in Namaqualand, as does a relative called A. calycina with notably longer calyces.

    The plants thrive on abandoned fields ploughed in the past. The photo was taken on the Maskam Guest Farm near Vanrhynsdorp in August (Le Roux, et al, 2005; iNaturalist).