Ambrosia hispida

Ambrosia hispida
Coastal ragweed stems growing across beach sand
Secure
Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Tribe: Heliantheae
Genus: Ambrosia
Species:
A. hispida
Binomial name
Ambrosia hispida
Synonyms
  • Ambrosia crithmifolia DC.
  • Ambrosia maritima Ferrero ex DC.

Ambrosia hispida, the coastal ragweed, is a species of perennial plant native to the Neotropics. It belongs to the family Asteraceae.

Description

Common features of coastal ragweed:

Distribution

Coastal ragweed occurs in the US state of Florida, in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula and the state of Veracruz, as well as Belize, Honduras, islands of the Caribbean, and Guyana in South America.

Habitat

In Florida, coastal ragweed inhabits coastal beaches and strand. In the Bahamas, it also occurs among dunes. In Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, it is found in mangrove forest and regularly flooded forests of other types.

Human uses

In landscaping and gardening

As an ornamental plant it is noted for its conspicuous foliage, and recommended for use as a ground cover in sunny, dry sites, where it spreads by rooting at stem nodes. However, it does poorly if overwatered, and its wind-borne pollen can cause allergic reactions.

In traditional medicine

In Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, coastal ragweed, known in Maya as muuch' kook, is mashed in alcohol to produce an extract to treat rheumatism and to increase perspiration. A small cup containing an infusion of the extract taken every night lowers blood pressure and fever. In the Bahamas, coastal ragweed, known as Sweet Bay and other names, is used to treat colds and flu, to deal with gastrointestinal issues ranging from increasing appetite to diarrhea and vomiting, as well as for skin problems such as blisters and general skin irritation. In Dominica, West Indies, it is commonly used to treat intestinal worms.

Taxonomy

Confusion has arisen regarding these two taxa:

The first is featured on this page. The second is a synonym of Ambrosia psilostachya.

In 1814 when Frederick Traugott Pursh formally named and described Ambrosia hispida, he noted the species as present in the US state of South Carolina (not known from there now), and mentioned the botanist Mark Catesby and the "Herb. Sherard." The Sherard Herbarium is at the University of Oxford.

Etymology

The genus name Ambrosia is thought to refer to the Greek ambrosia, the mythical food of the Greek gods, though it is unclear why Linnaeus related the two concepts.

The species name hispida is New Latin from the Latin hispĭdus meaning "rough, shaggy, hairy, bristly, prickly."

References

  1. ↑ NatureServe. "Ambrosia hispida". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "Ambrosia hispida Pursh". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  3. 1 2 Strother, John L. "Ambrosia hispida Pursh. In Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA)". St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA, USA: New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press via eFloras.org. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Strother, John L. "Ambrosia Linnaeus. In Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA)". St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA, USA: New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press via eFloras.org. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  5. ↑ Hassler, Michael (May 20, 2026). "Ambrosia hispida Pursh". Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. Version 26.05. Germany: World Plants. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Ambrosia hispida". Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve. Eleuthera, Bahamas: Leon Levy Preserve. 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Taxón: Ambrosia hispida Pursh". Flora de La Península de Yucatán (in Spanish). Mérida, Yucatán, México: Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, A.C. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  8. ↑ Wunderlin, R.P.; Franck, A.R.; Hansen, B.F.; Essig, F.B. "Ambrosia hispida". Atlas of Florida Plants. University of South Florida. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  9. ↑ Calvo Irabién, Luz María (May 2012). Plantas Aromáticas de Yucatán (PDF) (in Spanish). Mérida, Yucatán, México: Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, A.C. ISBN 978-607-7823-12-4.
  10. ↑ Quinlan, Marsha B; Quinlan, Robert J; Nolan, Justin M (April 2002). "Ethnophysiology and herbal treatments of intestinal worms in Dominica, West Indies". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 80 (1). Elsevier: 75–83. doi:10.1016/S0378-8741(02)00002-8. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Ambrosia psilostachya DC". catalogueoflife.org. Catalogue of Life. May 5, 2026. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
  12. ↑ Pursh, Frederick (1814). "Supplementum". Flora Americae Septentrionalis; or, A systematic arrangement and description of the plants of North America. Containing, besides what have been described by preceding authors, many new and rare species, collected during twelve years travels and residence in that country (in English and Latin). Vol. 2. London: Printed by Richard and Arthur Taylor. p. 743.
  13. ↑ "Sherard Herbarium". ox.ac.uk. University of Oxford, United Kingdom: BRAHMS Online. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
  14. ↑ "hispĭdus , a, um, adj". Perseus Digital Library. Massachusetts, USA: Tufts University. Retrieved June 5, 2026.