Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)
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Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)
Table of Contents

Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 01
(Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 01)  Common ragweed is easily recognized by its dissected leaves and racemes or spikes of small green flowers.  The literature varies widely in the description of the height of common ragweed, stating that it can grow to a height of as little as 3 feet all the way to a height of seven feet.  In our area, we have not seen any much over three feet in height.
Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 01a
(Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 01a)  This is a closer look at some of the common ragweed leaves and flowering racemes.  According to the USGS, the leaves can be as long as 8 inches.  Common ragweed is a member of the Aster family, Asteraceae.
Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 02
(Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 02)  Common ragweed has separate male and female flowers.  The bell-shaped flowers that hang down are the male flowers; the female flowers face upward and can be seen in the lower portion of the photo.
Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 02a
(Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 02a)  In this photo we have a closer look at both the 1/4 inch long male flowers  and the 1/3 inch long female flowers.
Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 03
(Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 03)  This is another look at a common ragweed.  The leaves of the common ragweed generally grow opposite one another, but the uppermost leaves may sometimes be alternate.
Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 03a
(Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 03a)  In this photo of common ragweed, we can see several newly sprouting bud-covered racemes.
Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 04
(Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 04)  This is another look at the developing common ragweed racemes.  Common ragweed bloom from July through October.
Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 05
(Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 05)  This is another view of common ragweed.
Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 05a
(Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 05a)  This is a close up side view of a newly developing common ragweed raceme.
Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 06
(Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 06)  We find it very interesting that the scientific name for ragweed is Ambrosia, which was the delicious food eaten by the mythical Greek gods to make them live forever, while many humans, today, suffer from hay fever caused by ragweed pollen.
Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 07
(Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 07)  Multiple racemes are growing on the uppermost portion of this common ragweed.
Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 08
(Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 08)  This is a bee's eye view of some of the staminate or male flowers of the common ragweed.
Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 09
(Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 09)  This is a bee's eye view of two of the male common ragweed flowers.
Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 10
(Ragweed, Common (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) - 10)  Another interesting feature of the common ragweed is that the female or pistillate flowers have no petals, only a forked pistil and an inferior ovary.

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