Burrobush, Burro Weed, White Bursage

Ambrosia dumosa

Color: Green to brown

Common name: Burrobush, Burro Weed, White Bursage

Latin name: Ambrosia dumosa

Family: ASTERACEAE

Height: 8-35 inches

Description: A much-branched shrub that is softly gray-white. The stems are covered with dense, fine greyish white hairs. The plant has both male and female flowers on the same plant.

Leaf: The teardrop-shaped leaf is generally ± clustered on short branches and are also covered with dense, fine, greyish white hairs.

Range: East of Sierra Nevada, Desert

Habitat: Creosote-bush scrub, Joshua Tree Woodland

Elevation: < 1600 m.

Flowering time: Feb–Jun, Sep–Nov

Notes: Ambrosia dumosa, a dicot, is a shrub that is native to California and is also found outside of California, but is confined to western North America. A. dumosa has spherical bur-like fruits ranging in color from golden to purple to brown. Along with microscopic hairs, the fruit has 12 to 35 flat and straight spines which are 5-9 mm in length and scattered over the surface. A. dumosa becomes dormant during drought, losing all of its leaves to prevent water loss by transpiration. Distribution outside California: to sw Utah, Arizona, nw Mexico. This plant was photographed April 11, 2011 near Yermo, Calif. with a Canon EOS 7D and 50mm lens.

We have an online wildflower field guide that is designed to help you identify desert wildflowers by color, scientific name, region and common name. The pictures are sized to work on the iPod, iPhone, iPad and similar devices. With your iPod or phone you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Links for downloads are on the bottom of the Wildflower Field Guide page.

Photo tips: Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have a macro function - usually symbolized by the icon of a little flower. When you turn on that function, you allow your camera to get closer to the subject, looking into a flower for example. Or getting up close and personal with a bug. More on desert photography.

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