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nodding beggartick

Scientific Name: Bidens cernua

Family: Asteraceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Forb/herb

Duration: Annual

Other Names:

       

Nodding Beggartick (Bidens cernua)

Bidens cernua, commonly known as Nodding Beggartick or Nodding Bur-marigold, is an annual plant found in wet habitats.

Considerations for Pets

  • This plant is also known as "Sticktight" which refers to its seeds sticking to surfaces.
  • Leaves are serrated.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Bidens cernua L.
  • Common Names: Nodding Beggartick, Nodding Bur-marigold, Bur Marigold, Sticktight, Nodding Beggar's Ticks
  • Family: Asteraceae (Aster or Composite Family)
  • Genus: Bidens
  • Species: cernua

Distribution and Habitat

  • Nodding Beggartick occurs in moist places such as meadows, river valleys, and roadside ditches.
  • Observed in locations such as Ontario, Nova Scotia, and the Black Hills.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • An erect annual plant, typically growing up to 3 feet tall, but usually much less.
  • Leaves are opposite, serrated, and measure 2-7 inches long and 1/2-2 inches wide.
  • It branches occasionally, but usually only within the inflorescence.

Ecological Role

  • Useful as a honey plant.
  • Several Bidens species are used as food by the caterpillars.

Quirky Facts

  • It is said that "a weed is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered," which applies to the Nodding Beggartick.
  • Of the three beggarticks in the Black Hills, the Nodding Beggartick is the most noticed due to its showy head.

Further Information

  • USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
  • PlantSystematics.org