Tarweed Fiddleneck

Amsinckia lycopsoides

Physical Characteristics

Amsinckia lycopsoides is a ANNUAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. It is in flower from July to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Distribution

Europe. Western N. America. Naturalized on the Farne Islands, N.E. Britain[200].

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves Seed Shoots Edible Uses: Fresh juicy shoots[161, 177, 257]. No more details are given. Seed - raw[257]. The parched seed is ground into a powder then made into cakes and eaten without being cooked[257]. If this species is like most other members of the family Boraginaceae, the seed is likely to ripen over a period of time and individual seeds fall from the plant when they are ripe. This will make harvesting any quantity of seed very fiddly and time consuming[K].

Medicinal Uses

None known

Known Hazards

None known