Bent-flowered fiddleneck facts for kids

The Amsinckia lunaris, also known as the bent-flowered fiddleneck, is a unique wild plant. It's a type of fiddleneck, a group of plants named for their curled flower clusters that look a bit like the head of a fiddle. This plant is quite rare and only grows naturally in California.

What is the Bent-Flowered Fiddleneck?

The bent-flowered fiddleneck is a special plant that only grows in certain areas. It is endemic to California. This means you won't find it growing naturally anywhere else in the world! It's an important part of California's natural plant life.

Where Does it Grow?

This plant can be found in a few specific places within California. It grows in the San Francisco Bay Area, which is a busy region with cities and nature. You can also find it in the forests of the coastal and inland mountains just north of the Bay Area. It also lives in the Central Valley, especially in the San Joaquin Valley. These areas provide the perfect conditions for this unique plant to thrive.

What Does it Look Like?

The Amsinckia lunaris is a type of plant called an annual herb. This means it grows from a seed, flowers, and then dies all within one year. It often feels a bit bristly or hairy to the touch.

Its Unique Flowers

The flowers of the bent-flowered fiddleneck are very interesting. They grow in coiled clusters called inflorescences, which look like a snail's shell or the top of a violin. The flowers themselves are orange and shaped like small tubes. Each flower is about one centimeter long. What makes this plant special is a clear bend in the tube of each flower. This bend gives the plant its common name, the "bent-flowered fiddleneck."