Ambrosia deltoidea – Triangle Bur Ragweed

Ambrosia deltoidea - Triangle Bur Ragweed, Triangle Burr-Ragweed, Triangleleaf Bursage, Triangle-leaf Bursage

Ambrosia deltoidea - Triangle Bur Ragweed, Triangle Burr-Ragweed, Triangleleaf Bursage, Triangle-leaf Bursage

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Ambrosia deltoidea

Synonym: Franseria deltoidea

Common Names: Triangle Bur Ragweed, Triangle Burr-Ragweed, Triangleleaf Bursage, Triangle-leaf Bursage

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial

Growth Habit: Shrub, Subshrub

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Desert

Flower Color: Yellowish, Greenish

Flowering Season: Spring

Height: To 2 1/2 feet (76 cm) tall or more

Description: The staminate (male) flower heads are clustered at the tips of short flower spikes, and the pistillate (female) flower heads are clustered below them. The flowers are wind-pollinated and are followed by spiny burs. The leaves have toothed margins and are hairy, petiolate, mostly alternate, gray-green in color, triangular in shape, and up to 1 3/4 inches (4.4 cm) long. The stems are upright, hairy, and brownish to green in color.

Special Characteristics

Allergenic – The male flowers have highly allergenic pollen.

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae – Aster family
Genus: Ambrosia L. – ragweed
Species: Ambrosia deltoidea (Torr.) Payne – triangle bur ragweed

More About This Plant

Arizona County Distribution Map