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Annual; hairs generally bristly, often bulbous-based.
Stem: generally erect, 2–12 dm, generally green.
Leaf: basal and cauline, alternate, sessile or lower short-petioled, generally linear to narrow- lanceolate or - oblong, generally not succulent, ± entire.
Inflorescence: spike-like cymes, generally ± terminal, tip coiled.
Flower: generally radial; calyx lobes 5 or 2–4 (see key); corolla tube generally not constricted, generally orange or yellow (red-orange), appendages generally 0, throat generally open, glabrous, limb on large-flowered taxa generally with 5 dark spots.
Fruit: nutlets erect, ± triangular, adaxially generally with exposed elliptic attachment scar, generally with rounded or sharp tubercles.
14 species: w North America, sw South America, widely alien elsewhere. (W. Amsinck, patron of Hamburg Botanic Garden, 1752–1831) Self-compatible; often heterostylous; large-flowered taxa generally cross-pollinated, small-flowered self-pollinated.
Unabridged references: [Ray & Chisaki 1957 Amer J Bot 44:529–554; Suksdorf 1931 Werdenda 1:47–113; Kelley & Seiber 1992 Phytochemistry 31:2369–2387]

Key to Amsinckia

1. Calyx lobes unequal in width, 2–4 from fusion below middle, notched at tip; corolla tube generally 20-veined near base; nutlet generally smooth, cobblestone-like, or round-tubercled (except Amsinckia spectabilis var. spectabilis)

2. St glabrous to sparse-coarse-hairy, glaucous, ± white to pink below; leaf glaucous; nutlet smooth, adaxially with longitudinal slit-like groove, attachment scar hidden

3. Corolla 12–22 mm, limb 8–14 mm diam, generally orange; generally heterostylous; nutlet 3–4 mm, ovate, groove forked at base ..... A. furcata

3' Corolla 8–12 mm, limb 2–6(8) mm diam, yellow (to orange-yellow); homostylous; nutlet 4–6 mm, lanceolate, groove unforked at base ..... A. vernicosa

2' St hairy, not glaucous, ± green below; leaf not glaucous; nutlet smooth, cobblestone-like, or tubercled, adaxially without slit-like groove, attachment scar exposed

4. Nutlet 1.5–2 mm, ± black; leaf fine-toothed; stem generally decumbent; coastal dunes or occasionally sandy bluffs ..... A. spectabilis var. spectabilis (2)

4' Nutlet 2.5–5 mm, gray to brown; leaf entire; stem erect to ascending; inland

5. Corolla 14–22 mm, limb 10–16 mm diam; heterostylous

6. Nutlet gray, dull, cobblestone-like; corolla yellow-orange; SCoR, w WTR ..... A. douglasiana

6' Nutlet ± brown, smooth, shiny; corolla red-orange; nw SnJV ..... A. grandiflora

5' Corolla 8–16 mm, limb 2–10 mm diam; homostylous ..... A. tessellata

7. Corolla 12–16 mm, limb 6–10 mm diam; anthers not appressed to, generally below stigma ..... var. gloriosa

7' Corolla 8–12 mm, limb 2–6 mm diam; anthers appressed to stigma ..... var. tessellata

1' Calyx lobes ± equal in width, 5, not fused above base (except Amsinckia spectabilis var. spectabilis); corolla tube 10-veined near base; nutlet generally sharp-tubercled, often ridged

8. Nutlet 1–2 mm; leaf ± succulent, fine-toothed ..... A. spectabilis

9. St erect; calyx lobes not fused above base; nutlet 1–1.5 mm; heterostylous ..... var. microcarpa

9' St generally decumbent; calyx lobes generally 2–3, ± 1/2-fused; nutlet 1.5–2 mm; heterostylous or homostylous ..... var. spectabilis (2)

8' Nutlet 2–4 mm; leaf not succulent, generally entire

10. Corolla bilateral, tube bent, limb generally with 2 dark spots ..... A. lunaris

10' Corolla radial, tube straight, limb with 0 or 5 dark spots

11. Corolla throat ± closed by 5 hairy appendages, tube constricted in lower 1/2; stamens attached below middle of corolla tube, style included ..... A. lycopsoides

11' Corolla throat open, glabrous, appendages 0, tube not constricted; stamens generally attached above middle of corolla tube, if below then style exserted

12. Corolla 10–20 mm, limb 8–14 mm diam; style generally ± exserted; anthers not appressed to, generally below stigma (if stigma at bottom 1/3 of tube, then anthers above stigma, at throat) ..... A. eastwoodiae

12' Corolla 4–11 mm, limb 1–10 mm diam; style not exserted; anthers generally appressed to stigma

13. St erect, ± gray, appressed to reflexed hairs below present; leaf ± gray, hairs appressed to ascending; corolla ± yellow ..... A. retrorsa

13' St decumbent to erect, green to brown, appressed to reflexed hairs below ± 0; leaf green, hairs ± not appressed to ascending; corolla ± orange

14. St ascending to erect; corolla 7–11 mm, limb 4–10 mm diam, ± orange, tube exserted ..... A. intermedia

14' St decumbent to ± ascending; corolla 4–7 mm, limb 1–3 mm diam, yellow to orange-yellow, tube ± exserted ..... A. menziesii

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].
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