The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

San Diego bur ragweed, San Diego bur-sage, San Diego burr ragweed

heartleaf bursage, Tucson bur ragweed, Tucson burr ragweed

Habit Shrubs, 30–80+ cm. Shrubs, 30–50+ cm.
Stems

erect.

erect.

Leaves

mostly alternate;

petioles 5–20 mm;

blades ovate to rounded-deltate, 20–35(–50) × 18–30(–45) mm, bases broadly cuneate to ± truncate, margins toothed, abaxial faces ± densely tomentulose (between veins), adaxial faces sparsely tomentulose, glabrescent.

mostly alternate;

petioles 3–35 mm;

blades deltate to rounded-deltate, 10–35(–80) × 10–30(–70) mm, bases cordate to truncate, margins coarsely toothed, abaxial faces densely puberulent (including veins), adaxial faces strigillose to scabrellous and gland-dotted.

Staminate heads

peduncles 0–3 mm;

involucres ± cup-shaped, 3–5 mm diam., tomentulose;

florets 12–20+.

peduncles 0–1 mm;

involucres cup-shaped, 2–3(–5) mm diam., strigillose;

florets 8–30+.

Pistillate heads

clustered, proximal to staminates;

florets 2(–3).

clustered, proximal to staminates;

florets (1–)2.

Burs

bodies obconic to fusiform, 4–6 mm, tomentulose (little, if at all, stipitate-glandular), spines 15–20+, scattered or on distal 1/2, ± subulate (the proximal basally flattened), 2–3 mm, tips usually uncinate, sometimes straight.

bodies ± globose to fusiform, 3–4+ mm, tomentulose and stipitate-glandular, spines 8–20+, scattered, ± subulate (basally navicular), 1–2 mm, tips straight or uncinate.

2n

= 72.

Ambrosia chenopodiifolia

Ambrosia cordifolia

Phenology Flowering Mar–Apr. Flowering Mar–Apr.
Habitat Clays or sandy soils, among lava rocks Sandy washes, benches
Elevation 50–200 m (200–700 ft) 700–1200 m (2300–3900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Sinaloa, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 14. FNA vol. 21, p. 14.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Ambrosiinae > Ambrosia Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Ambrosiinae > Ambrosia
Sibling taxa
A. acanthicarpa, A. ambrosioides, A. artemisiifolia, A. bidentata, A. chamissonis, A. cheiranthifolia, A. confertiflora, A. cordifolia, A. deltoidea, A. dumosa, A. eriocentra, A. grayi, A. hispida, A. ilicifolia, A. linearis, A. monogyra, A. psilostachya, A. pumila, A. salsola, A. tomentosa, A. trifida
A. acanthicarpa, A. ambrosioides, A. artemisiifolia, A. bidentata, A. chamissonis, A. cheiranthifolia, A. chenopodiifolia, A. confertiflora, A. deltoidea, A. dumosa, A. eriocentra, A. grayi, A. hispida, A. ilicifolia, A. linearis, A. monogyra, A. psilostachya, A. pumila, A. salsola, A. tomentosa, A. trifida
Synonyms Franseria chenopodiifolia Franseria cordifolia
Name authority (Bentham) W. W. Payne: J. Arnold Arbor. 45: 419. (1964) (A. Gray) W. W. Payne: J. Arnold Arbor. 45: 421. (1964)
Web links