Download Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) Genus: Ambrosia (am

Ragweed
(Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.)
Family: Asteraceae (ass-ter-AY-see-ee) From the aster or
daisy family which was formerly called Compositae.
Alternative Pronunciation: ass-ter-AY-see-ay
Genus: Ambrosia (am-BRO-zhuh) From the Greek ambrŏsia,
which, in ancient mythology, was the nectar of the gods. This
food would make those who ate or drank it immortal. Now it
refers to the group of plants which produce great amounts of
tiny air borne pollen causing hay fever.
Species: artemisiifolia (ar-te-miz-ee-eye-FOH-lee-uh) Means to
have foliage like the Artemisia plant which was named for the
Artĕmis, the Greek goddess of chastity.
Ragweed
The plant is named for the raggedy shape of its leaves.
Common Ragweed (also known as annual ragweed,
bitterweed, blackweed, and American wormwood) is an
annual which is the most widespread plant of its genus in
North America.
It grows in many places in Altona Forest, but especially
around the edge along the fences.
Ragweed
Common Ragweed,
Annual Ragweed,
Annual Bur-Sage
The leaves are 4 to 10 cm long, egg-shaped in outline and once or twice
bipinnately compound giving them a lacy appearance. They are hairy on
upper surface and margin and densely appressed on lower surface. The
lower leaves are opposite on the stem while the upper ones alternate.
The stems are erect, branched, with long, rough hairs.
Ragweed
It grows from 15 –
170 cm tall.
The stems have
many branches.
The roots are a
shallow taproot
which makes it
easy to pull up.
Ragweed
Common ragweed's nasty pollen causes much
misery to hay-fever sufferers. Goldenrod, which
is blamed for hay-fever, is innocent of this
malady.
The very numerous, tiny, non-showy, greenish
flowers grow along long spikes from August until
the end of summer. The drabness of the flowers
do not attract insects. The fine yellow grains of
pollen are very small and easily carried by the
wind which is the reason it is so bad for hayfever suffers. The mainly green flower parts are
not discernable without a magnifying lens.
Ragweed
The fruit is a woody achene, yellowish- to
reddish-brown, 3-4 mm long and resembles
a crown.
The numerous seeds are rich in oil and
desired by songbirds.
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