In order to study the relationship between solar magnetic fields and the transient variations of the north-south component, Bz, of the interplanetary magnetic field, IMF, at 1 AU, we collect (1) flares from unusual north-south oriented active regions; (2) large IMF Bz events; (3) large flares with comprehensive flare index >12 and then investigate the associated IMF Bz changes or the magnetic field of the initiating flares, whichever the case may be. For those cases where an association between a transient IMF Bz variation and an initiating flare is plausible, we find that, for a given flare field, the orientation of the corresponding transient variation of Bz may be in agreement with the flare field, opposite to it, or, more often, fluctuating in both magnitude and direction. Conversely, an IMF Bz event may originate in a flare field in the same magnetic orientation, opposite to it, or in the east-west orientation (i.e., having no component in the north-south direction). Our studies show that a simple relationship between the orientation of the IMF Bz component and the magnetic orientation of the associated flare region is not apparent. This in turn suggests that the disturbed solar wind does not retain the apparent orientation of the photospheric flare field during its passage to a distance of 1 AU. The implication of this conclusion is discussed in terms of the ''magnetic tongue'' model of the magnetic field configuration in the disturbed solar wind.