Flower ID: IMG_2733.JPG-08-16-2019 Flower name (scientific): Ambrosia trifida Linnaeus PY: 1753. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) am-BRO-zhuh TRY-fee-da (or TRIF-i-da or TREE-fee-duh) Flower name (common): Giant Ragweed Family name (common): Aster Family name (scientific): Asteraceae Scientific name origin: Genus: In Greek mythology, ambrosia was the food or drink of the gods, and was used for certain herbs by Dioscorides and Pliny. According to the OED, herbalists referred to only the European species A. maritima by the name Ambrosia. Specific epithet: From the Latin for three-cleft, divided into three, referencing the appearance of the leaves. Common name origin: Giant reflects the size of the plant, relative to that of common ragweed. Ragweed refers to the supposed ragged shape of the leaves, but the name apparently applied to a different plant called ragwort, which belongs to a different genus. Flower description: Size: 0.1 to 0.2 inches (3 to 5 mm) for staminate (male) flowers. Pistillate (female) florets are minute. Petal count: 0 (no petals present) Color: green or yellow (staminate flowers). Other: flower arrangement, Raceme Plant description: Size: 24 to 144 inches (61 to 366 cm) Stem hairy: pubescent. Other: Leaf description: attachment is opposite, type is simple and lobed. Size: Leaves are 4 to 25 or more cm long and 3 to 20 cm wide. Color: Medium green. Lower surface may be slightly paler compared with upper surface. Hairy: Both surfaces slightly roughened with short stout hairs, the lower surface more sparsely compared with the upper surface. Other: Shape: leaf, rounded-deltate to ovate or elliptic (FNA). Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common Bloom time (typical): August to September Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Annual Habitat: Disturbed areas, roadsides, waste sites, fields, woods, thickets, sun or part shade, moist to mesic black soil. Fruit: Seed: Importance to wildlife: Similar species (if any): No close lookalikes. The palmately lobed leaves of Ambrosia trifida can be used to differentiate it from other Ambrosia species, which have pinnatifid or bipinnatifid leaves. Ethnobotany: Used as a dermatological aid, a pulmonary aid, and an antidiarrheal by the Cherokee, and also used by the Iroquois as an antidiarrheal (Moerman, pp. 66-67, 1998). The Meskwaki used the plant root as a psychological aid (Smith, p. 210, 1928). Latitude: 44.796955 Longitude: -91.502895 Altitude: 241.60 Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Lincoln, Marinette, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waushara, Winnebago) Click here for distribution map In US: (AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY) Click here for distribution map In Canada: (AB, MB, NB, NS, ON, PE, QC, SK) Click here for distribution map References: John L. Strother, In: Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico [Online]. 22+ vols. New York and Oxford. Vol. 21. http://floranorthamerica.org/Ambrosia_trifida. Accessed [10-08-2021]. Synonym(s): Basionym: na Homotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 1 homotypic synonym for this species. Heterotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 8 heterotypic synonyms for this species. Autonym: na Wetland Status (NC): FAC Wetland Status (MW): FAC