''Ambrosia ilicifolia'' is a species of
ragweed known by the common names hollyleaf burr ragweed and hollyleaf bursage.
It is native to the deserts and mountains of western
Arizona, and the adjacent
Sonoran Desert areas of southeastern
California,
Sonora
Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...
and
Baja California. It grows in dry washes, scrub, and other local habitats.
[Flora of North America Vol. 21 Page 12 Ambrosia ilicifolia (A. Gray) W. W. Payne]
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Description
''Ambrosia ilicifolia'' is a small, matted shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
under in height. Its stiff, straight branches are green, glandular, and leafy when young, and light gray and leafless when older. The holly-like leaves are leathery but brittle, oval-shaped to rounded, and edged with spine-tipped teeth. They are green, veiny and sticky with resin.[
The inflorescence holds several spiny staminate (male) ]flower heads
A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...
next to larger pistillate
Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils'' ...
(female) heads. Each pistillate head produces usually two fruits, which are yellow-brown burrs nearly 2 centimeters wide. Each burr is rounded, sticky, and covered in hooked spines.Jepson Manual Treatment — ''Ambrosia ilicifolia''
/ref>
References
External links
Calflora Database: ''Ambrosia ilicifolia'' (Holly leaved burbush, Hollyleaf bursage)
Jepson Manual eFlora (TKM2) treatment of ''Ambrosia ilicifolia''
UC Calphotos Photo gallery: ''Ambrosia ilicifolia''
ilicifolia
Flora of the Sonoran Deserts
Flora of the California desert regions
Flora of Arizona
Flora of Baja California
Flora of Sonora
Natural history of the Colorado Desert
Plants described in 1876
Taxa named by Asa Gray
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
{{Heliantheae-stub