clustered burreed vs Coastal Ragweed

Sparganium glomeratum compared with Ambrosia hispida

Key Differences

• clustered burreed is Not Evaluated while Coastal Ragweed is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	clustered burreed	Coastal Ragweed
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Liliopsida (Monocots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Poales (Grasses)	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)
Family	Typhaceae	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus	Sparganium	Ambrosia
Species	Sparganium glomeratum	Ambrosia hispida

Evolutionary Relationship

clustered burreed and Coastal Ragweed share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Magnoliophyta. (Flowering Plants)

Conservation Status

clustered burreed

NE — Not Evaluated

Coastal Ragweed

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

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

Habitat & Geographic Range

clustered burreed

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, wetlands, forests, and cultivated landscapes.

Range

Distributed across Canada and Norway.

Coastal Ragweed

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Cuba.

clustered burreed

Sparganium glomeratum, the clustered burreed, is an aquatic or semi-aquatic perennial herb in the family Typhaceae native to circumboreal wetland habitats across northern Europe, northern Asia, and North America. The genus Sparganium is characterized by distinctive spherical, spiky fruiting heads that give burreeds their common name. S. glomeratum is distinguished by its clustered arrangement of male and female flower heads, which are positioned closer together than in other burreed species. The plant grows in shallow water or waterlogged soils in lakes, ponds, slow streams, fens, and marshes, often forming emergent stands alongside other wetland vegetation such as sedges, rushes, and other aquatic plants. Like other aquatic macrophytes, it provides important habitat structure for aquatic invertebrates, fish, and waterfowl. The starchy rhizomes and starch-rich fruits are consumed by waterfowl and other wildlife. S. glomeratum has not been formally evaluated by the IUCN for global conservation status, but is considered secure across most of its circumpolar range in intact boreal and temperate wetlands.

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.