Ambrosia chamissonis is a species of ragweed known by the common names silver burr ragweed, silver beachweed and (silver) beach bur(r).[3]

Ambrosia chamissonis

Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Ambrosia
Species:
A. chamissonis
Binomial name
Ambrosia chamissonis
Synonyms[2]
  • Ambrosia bipinnatifida Greene
  • Franseria bipinnatifida (Less.) Nutt.
  • Franseria chamissonis Less.
  • Franseria cuneifolia Nutt.
  • Franseria lessingii Meyen & Walp.
  • Franseria villosa Rydb.
  • Gaertneria bipinnatifida Kuntze
  • Gaertneria chamissonis (Less.) Kuntze

It is known from most of the coastline of western North America from Alaska to Baja California, where it is a resident of beaches and other sandy coastal habitats.[4][5]

Description

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Ambrosia chamissonis is a large, sprawling perennial herb exceeding 3 metres (9.8 ft) in maximum width. The stems are roughly or softly hairy and longitudinally ridged. The plentiful leaves are a few centimeters long, woolly and silver-green, and variable in shape.[4]

The plant is monoecious, with male and female flowers on each individual. Staminate (male) flower heads containing many pale colored florets occur at the tip of the inflorescence, with pistillate (female) flower heads clustered below them. Each pistillate head contains a single tiny flower which develops into a fruit. The fruit is a brown bur up to a centimeter wide covered in sharp spines.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "NatureServe Explorer - Ambrosia chamissonis". NatureServe Explorer Ambrosia chamissonis. NatureServe. 2022-06-22. Retrieved 22 Jun 2022.
  2. ^ The Plant List Ambrosia chamissonis (Less.) Greene
  3. ^ Calflora taxon report, University of California, Ambrosia chamissonis (Less.) E. Greene Silver Beachweed, beach bur
  4. ^ a b Flora of North America Vol. 21 Page 16 Ambrosia chamissonis (Lessing) Greene, Man. Bot. San Francisco. 188. 1894.
  5. ^ Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  6. ^ Jepson Manual Treatment — Ambrosia chamissonis
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