Iva annua L.

Annual Sumpweed; Annual Marsh Elder; Rough Marsh Elder

Herb

Annual

Vascular

Annual Sumpweed is a native annual in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It can be found throughout most of Alabama. Annual Sumpweed occurs in swamps, on floodplains, in fields and pastures, and on other moist disturbed sites. It is especially common on sites with clay soils. It is an annual with a taproot. Stems are erect, 1-3 feet in height, unbranched or branched above the middle, pubescent, and green or reddish in color. Leaves are opposite, petiolate, elliptic to lanceolate or ovate in outline, toothed (rarely entire), closely scabrellous on the faces, and gland dotted. The crushed leaves have a strong camphor-like odor. Flowers are produced in heads. The heads are arranged in spiciform arrays. Each head is sessile or has a short peduncle and a green hemispheric involucre. Heads have 3-5 pistillate flowers and 8-12 staminate flowers. The heads have only disc flowers. The fruit is a brown to achene. Annual Sumpweed was cultivated by Native Americans for its edible seed. Its abundant pollen is a severe allergen for some people.—A. Diamond.

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Native FAC (NWPL)

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