White Bursage (Ambrosia dumosa) is one of the two signature plants of the southwestern deserts, but it generally remains unnoticed beneath the taller creosote bush in the Lower Sonoran (Creosote-Bursage Flats). Bursage is a dominant species in the Creosote-Bursage Flats, and it is a major component of the Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub) life zone.

Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae).

Other names: burrobush, burroweed.

Plant Form: Low, rounded shrub with many branches emerging from the ground and radiating up and outward. The stems generally are crooked and divided.

Height: Generally less than knee-high (about 1.5 feet); maximum about 2 feet.

Leaves: 3/4 inch long; light colored (smoke colored) due to dense, short, light-colored hairs. Pinnately divided several times. Leaves present only after rain.

Flowers: greenish; no petals; about 1/8 inch wide. Flowers on a terminal spike. Blooms spring to fall.

Seeds: Fruits 1/4-inch long, spiny (not hooked).

Elevation: up to about 3,000 ft.