Ambrosia maritima L. [family COMPOSITAE]

Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, Part Part 3, page 547, (2005) Author: H. Beentje, C. Jeffrey & D.J.N. Hind
Names
Ambrosia maritima L. [family COMPOSITAE], Sp. Pl.: 987 (1753); Oliv. & Hiern, F.T.A. 3: 370 (1877); C.D. Adams in F.W.T.A. ed. 2, 2: 268 (1963); Wild in Kirkia 6: 2 (1967); Lisowski, Asterac. Fl. Afr. Centr. 1: 110 (1991); U.K.W.F. ed. 2: 215 (1994). Type: Mediterranean, ‘habitat in Hetruriae, Cappadociae maritimis arenosis’, Herb. Clifford: 443, Ambrosia 1 (BM, lecto., designated by Alavi in Jafri & El-Gadi, Fl. Libya 107: 120 (1983))
Ambrosia senegalensis DC. [family COMPOSITAE], Prodr. 5: 525 (1836). Types: Senegal, Perrotet s.n. (P!, SYN.) & Bacle s.n. (G-DC, SYN.)
Information
Annual herb 0.4–1.2 m high, aromatic; stems pilose. Leaves alternate, ovate in outline, deeply lobed, the lobes again lobed, 3–13 cm long, 1.5–7 cm wide, the lobes obtuse with crenate margins, pubescent on both surfaces but more densely so beneath; petiole to 5 cm long. Male capitula in racemes to 13 cm long, sessile or nearly so; involucre to 5 mm in diameter; florets 15–20, white, campanulate, 2–2.5 mm long. Female florets a few together below the base of the male inflorescence, involucre 5–6 mm long with 4–5 spines 2 mm long. Achenes dark grey, ovoid, 1.2 mm long, smooth; pappus absent. Fig. 176 (p. 814).
Range
DISTR. U 1, 2, 4; K 5; T 1, 5–7 a widespread weed
Altitude range
0–1200 m
Distribution
KENYA South Kavirondo District Kindu–Homa Point road, Sep. 1933, Napier 5355!TANZANIA Mwanza District Ngwanganda, May 1953, Tanner 1531!TANZANIA Dodoma District Ikowa Reservoir, June 1974, Mhoro & Backeus 1953!TANZANIA Rufiji District Mafia I., Kanga, Dec. 1977, Wingfield 4491a!UGANDA Bunyoro, Kitoba, Apr. 1942, Purseglove 1218!UGANDA Mengo District Kampala, Port Bell, Dec. 1934, Chandler 1192!UGANDA Masaka District Lake Nabugabo, Bale, May 1972, Lye 6992!
Notes
USES.Minor medicine against snakebite (Tanner)CONSERVATION Least concern (LC) The first record from East Africa is from Entebbe, Uganda, in 1923.
Ambrosia maritima L. [family COMPOSITAE]
PDF

Related Materials