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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Logan, Utah » Poisonous Plant Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #332763
Title: Amsinckia Lehmann (Boraginaceae): A summary taxonomic review

Author
item WELSH, STANLEY - Brigham Young University
item Panter, Kip
item Colegate, Steven
item Gardner, Dale
item CUNEO, PEDER - University Of Arizona
item Davis, Thomas - Zane
item Stegelmeier, Bryan
item Stonecipher, Clinton - Clint

Submitted to: International Journal of Poisonous Plant Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/7/2016
Publication Date: 8/1/2017
Citation: Welsh, S.L., Panter, K.E., Colegate, S.M., Gardner, D.R., Cuneo, P.S., Davis, T.Z., Stegelmeier, B.L., Stonecipher, C.A. 2017. Amsinckia Lehmann (Boraginaceae): A summary taxonomic review. International Journal of Poisonous Plant Research. 4(1):25-35.

Interpretive Summary: Amsinckia species are poisonous plants that cause liver disease in animals that eat too much over a period of time. The common name for Amsinckia is fiddleneck because the flower head is shaped like the neck of violin or scorpion’s tail. In the literature there is much confusion and misinterpretation of the taxonomic description. Therefore, this manuscript narrows the large number of taxa described by other botanists to 11 specific species with taxonomic descriptions. The impetus for this manuscript came as a result of a poisoning case in cattle in Arizona.

Technical Abstract: An overview and taxonomic re-evaluation of the Amsinckia genus as it is presently known in the western United States is provided. Because of the confusion and mis-information about the classification of the Amsinckia speces in general and as a result of a cattle poisoning case in Arizona, it was very timely to re-visit the taxonomy of this genus. In this review the hundreds of segregate Amsinckia species provided in the literature historically is narrowed to eleven species and an additional 6 infra specific taxa.