Description: Annual herbs with stiff, spreading hairs.
Basal leaves in a rosette; leaves on stems alternate, sessile.
Inflorescence terminal, of few to several scorpioid cymes; bracts absent; flowers sessile to shortly pedicellate. Sepals fused only at the base. Corolla actinomorphic, cylindrical, glabrous or with 5 saccate scales in the throat opposite the lobes. Stamens included or tips of anthers exserted; anthers subsessile, lacking an appendage. Ovary 4-lobed; style as long as the stamens; stigma capitate.
Fruit of 4 papillate or wrinkled mericarps splitting from a conical gynobase.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 50 species, America & Europe. Australia: 3 species (naturalised), all States.
Australian specimens of this genus are often difficult to identify to species with any confidence. This is because it appears that intergrades occur between the species.
Text by Peter G. Wilson
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Throat of corolla constricted by hairy saccate protrusions | Amsinckia lycopsoides |
| Saccate protrusions absent from corolla | 2 |
| 2 | Flowers orange-yellow; mericarps grey to fawn, usually transversely wrinkled, usually 3–3.5 mm long | Amsinckia intermedia |
| Flowers pale yellow; mericarps brown to black, not or weakly transversely wrinkled, usually 2–2.5 mm long
Back to 1 | Amsinckia calycina |
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