Annual Ragweed

Hybrids between Ambrosia artemisiifolia and A. psilostachya have been called A. ×intergradiens W. H. Wagner. The name Ambrosia ×helenae Rouleau applies to hybrids between A. artemisiifolia and A. trifida.

Annuals, 10–60(–150+) cm. Stems erect. Leaves opposite (proximal) and alternate; petioles 25–35(–60+) mm; blades deltate to lanceolate or elliptic, 25–55(–90+) × 20–30(–50+) mm, 1–2-pinnately lobed, bases cuneate, ultimate margins entire or toothed, abaxial faces sparsely pilosulous to strigillose, adaxial faces strigillose, both gland-dotted. Pistillate heads clustered, proximal to staminates; florets 1. Staminate heads: peduncles 0.5–1.5 mm; involucres shallowly cup-shaped (usually without black nerves), 2–3+ mm diam., glabrous or hispid to pilosulous; florets 12–20+. Burs: bodies ± globose to pyriform, 2–3 mm, ± pilosulous, spines or tubercles 3–5+, near middles or distal, ± conic to acerose, 0.1–0.5+ mm, tips straight. 2n = 34, 36.

Ambrosia artemisiifolia var. elatior (Linnaeus) Descourtilz; A. artemisiifolia var. paniculata (Michaux) Blankinship; A. elatior Linnaeus; A. glandulosa Scheele; A. monophylla (Walter) Rydberg