Stems upright, hairy, rough; leaves highly dissected, opposite attachment below, alternate above.
Annual; erect stems; leaves thin, fern-like, deeply lobed with many side lobes, lower leaves deeply lobed again (bipinnatifid) and attached opposite, upper leaves alternate attachment; flower heads along the length of slender, elongated spikes.
Habitat
Found on roadsides, in old fields and other waste places.
Flower Characteristics
Heads disc flowers; terminal spike-like male flower clusters 1 to 4 inches long, may have 2 short side spikes; female flowers sessile, single, 1/8 inch long, green, turning yellow-green and brown as it matures; female and male flowers in separate heads.
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Pinkish-red stems grooved and hairy; green leaves to 6 inches long, 4 inches wide, lower leaves opposite, upper alternate along the stem, deeply lobed, base much wider than the tip; margins smooth or toothed.
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Woody with 4 to 7 spine-like projections, resembling a crown.
Numerous seeds per flower head, viable for up to 5 years.