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Skeletonleaf Bursage (bur
ragweed, silverleaf, povertyweed)
Asteraceae (= Compositae), the aster
family
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Background
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 Skeletonleaf bursage is native to the Great Plains
region. It spreads both by seed and creeping roots, keeping primarily on,
but not limited to, dry or poorly drained sites.
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Description
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Skeletonleaf bursage is a
perennial up to 3 feet tall.
Leaves are alternate, up to 5 inches long, and very deeply
lobed with
coarsely toothed margins. The lobes are reduced in size from leaf base to
tip. The upper leaf surface is
 greenish gray and may have rough hairs; the
lower surface is white with short, dense hairs.
Flower heads are 1/4 inch wide and are produced from June through August.
Each head contains inconspicuous yellow flowers that are either male or female (not
both). Fruits are 2-seeded, light brown burs with up to 10 short spines. The
plant has extensive horizontal roots.
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Distribution
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 Skeletonleaf bursage occurs from the desert Southwest
to Wisconsin and Illinois and in these indicated Idaho counties.
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Control
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No biological control agents are available for skeletonleaf
bursage, but herbicides are available for control of this weed.
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© 1999 University of Idaho:
Text and photographs for these pages from Idaho's Noxious Weeds, by
Robert H. Callihan and Timothy W. Miller (revised by Don W. Morishita
and Larry W. Lass).
Please contact: Ag Publishing, University of Idaho, Moscow,
Idaho 83844-2240; 208 882-7982 visit the Resources for Idaho website at
http://info.ag.uidaho.edu, for more information about this or other
publications.
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