Bidens frondosa Bidens frondosa L. Bidens frondosa L. var. anomala Porter ex Fernald Bidens frondosa L. var. caudata Sherff Bidens frondosa L. var. pallida Wiegand Bidens frondosa L. var. stenodonta Fernald & H. St. John Devil’s Beggartick, Devil’s-pitchfork, Devil’s Bootjack, Sticktights, Bur Marigold, Pitchfork Weed, Tickseed Sunflower, Leafy Beggarticks, Common Beggar-ticks
These widespread North American native plants have all kinds of colorful common names that relate to the small fork-shaped seeds, which readily hitch rides on passers-by. Identification: Plants are 12-36" (30-91 cm) high, rarely up to 6' (1.8 m). Stems are square in cross-section, nearly hairless, and light green, reddish green, or purple. Lower leaves are odd pinnate clusters on long petioles, in opposite pairs; upper leaves may be alternate. Leaves are up to 3" (7.6 cm) × 1" (2.5 cm), coarsely toothed, deltate or lanceolate. Composite flowers are typically composed of 20-60 orange-yellow disc florets about ⅜-½" (9.5-12 mm) around, and sometimes a few yellow rays, each ¹/₁₆-⅛" (2-3.5 mm) long. They are encompassed in 6-10 phyllaries, like a rosette of small leaves. The flowers look sort of scraggly and unimpressive to me. Flowers occur in groups of one or up to 12, appearing from late summer to early fall. The seeds or achenes are shaped like a narrow triangle, with two barbed fork tips that attach to fur or clothes. The seeds are also distributed by the wind. Edibility: Cooked young leaves and stems are edible. Medical: Infusions made from this species are used to treat several urinary tract problems, as well as to reduce recurrences of gout by increasing excretion of uric acid. Online References:
Bidens frondosa at Illinois Wildflowers Bidens frondosa on CalPhotos Bidens frondosa at Minnesota Wildflowers Bidens frondosa on Wikipedia Bidens frondosa at the University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium Bidens frondosa on the University of Massachusetts Landscape, Nursery & Urban Forestry Program Bidens frondosa on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants Bidens frondosa on eFloras 9/27/2018 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, MA 8/4/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, MA 7/24/2010 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, MA 9/11/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, MA Bidens frondosa description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 12 Oct 2018. © FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved. |
9/15/2015 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Porcupine Trail, Hollis, NH 9/27/2018 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, MA 9/11/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, MA 9/25/2017 · Oak Hill, Littleton, MA 9/25/2017 · Oak Hill, Littleton, MA 7/24/2010 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, MA 9/11/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, MA 9/15/2015 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Porcupine Trail, Hollis, NH Range:
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