vs Coastal Ragweed

Achlya diffusa compared with Ambrosia hispida

Key Differences

is Not Evaluated while Coastal Ragweed is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Coastal Ragweed
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)
Family	Drepanidae	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus	Achlya	Ambrosia
Species	Achlya diffusa	Ambrosia hispida

Conservation Status

NE — Not Evaluated

Coastal Ragweed

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute		Coastal Ragweed
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Brazil, Sweden, and Taiwan.

Coastal Ragweed

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found in Cuba.

Achlya diffusa is a species in the genus Achlya. It is not yet evaluated on the IUCN Red List. It is found across Brazil, Sweden, and Taiwan, inhabiting diverse terrestrial and freshwater habitats. Its documented geographic distribution includes Brazil, Sweden, and Taiwan.

Coastal Ragweed

Coastal ragweed (Ambrosia hispida) is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae, native to the coastal dunes, sandy beaches, and cays of Cuba, the Bahamas, and the wider Caribbean region. It grows in pioneer beach and dune vegetation, often forming spreading colonies that help stabilise loose coastal sands. Like other members of the genus Ambrosia, it bears inconspicuous greenish-white flowers arranged in racemes; male flower heads produce wind-dispersed pollen that can trigger allergic rhinitis in sensitive individuals. The deeply lobed, hispid leaves are adapted to reflect intense solar radiation and tolerate salt spray. Coastal ragweed plays an ecological role in early dune succession, binding sand and enabling other plant species to establish. The genus is widespread globally, with several Ambrosia species considered noxious weeds in agricultural settings, though Ambrosia hispida is restricted to its native Caribbean coastal range. The IUCN assesses it as Least Concern, reflecting adequate population size across its Caribbean coastal distribution. Pressure from coastal development and tourism infrastructure poses a localised threat to dune communities it inhabits.