Coastal Ragweed vs Cock's-spur

Ambrosia hispida compared with Erythrina eggersii

Key Differences

• Coastal Ragweed is Least Concern while Cock's-spur is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Ragweed	Cock's-spur
Kingdom same	Plantae (Plants)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)
Family	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)	Fabaceae
Genus	Ambrosia	Erythrina
Species	Ambrosia hispida	Erythrina eggersii

Evolutionary Relationship

Coastal Ragweed and Cock's-spur share a common ancestor at the Class level: Magnoliopsida. (Dicots)

Conservation Status

Coastal Ragweed

LC — Least Concern

Cock's-spur

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Ragweed	Cock's-spur
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coastal Ragweed

Habitat

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

Range

Found in Cuba.

Cock's-spur

Habitat

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

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.

Cock's-spur

The cock's spur (Erythrina eggersii) is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree in the family Fabaceae, classified as Endangered and endemic to the Caribbean region, with its range restricted to a limited number of eastern Caribbean islands. Like other members of the genus Erythrina — the coral trees — it produces large, vivid red flowers that are a primary nectar source for hummingbirds and other nectarivorous birds, which serve as the tree's principal pollinators. The common name refers to the spurred or claw-shaped petals of the flower, characteristic of the genus. Erythrina eggersii is threatened primarily by habitat loss through agricultural conversion, development, introduced herbivores including goats and cattle that browse regenerating seedlings, and the extreme vulnerability of island endemic species to stochastic events such as hurricanes and droughts. The restricted range, small total population, and ongoing habitat decline place this species squarely in the Endangered category under IUCN criteria. Caribbean islands support disproportionately high levels of plant endemism but also suffer from among the highest rates of habitat conversion and invasive species pressure of any region globally. Conservation priorities for E. eggersii include protection of remaining native dry forest fragments, control of invasive herbivores, and ex situ cultivation as insurance against further population decline. The species was named for the Danish botanist Hans Franz Alexander von Eggers, who collected extensively in the Caribbean during the nineteenth century.